New Ontario Place renderings show above-ground, waterfront parking garage
A map released alongside the renderings confirms a parking garage will be built just to the east of the complex's main entrance, while a private spa being built by the Austrian company Therme will occupy most of the west island.
The renderings show the spa development, which has sparked controversy for the government ever since it was announced, will dominate the west island. That project is being led by the Austrian company Therme.
View image in full screen
The final layout for the Ford government's Ontario Place plan. Government of Ontario
View image in full screen
A rendering of the planned parking garage for Ontario Place. Government of Ontario
A curvy glass structure dotted with trees will host the indoor, water attraction, connecting to the mainland and entrance on Lake Shore Drive through a large bridge.
Story continues below advertisement
The government had briefly considered moving the parking structure northwards to Exhibition Place to avoid blocking waterfront views. It is, however, bound by strict contractual obligations to Therme, which means it cannot move the parking more than 650 metres away from the site.
Get daily National news
Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
A Live Nation performance venue will take up the central island, with a marina built behind it. Parkland will be scattered across the development, with the creation of new beaches and areas to walk.
More to come.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Global News
2 hours ago
- Global News
Canadian leaders descend upon Ontario cottage country for high stakes meetings
Ontario's cottage country is set to become the centre of Canadian power for three days beginning Monday, as leaders from across the country descend on Huntsville, Ont., for high-stakes meetings. The Council of the Federation, which includes all of the country's 13 premiers, will meet in the small town to discuss trade, energy, immigration and U.S.-Canada relations, among other topics. Prime Minister Mark Carney will be in Huntsville for a separate meeting with provincial leaders on Tuesday. Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who will chair his last meeting as the head of the group this week, selected the rural setting, close to his own cottage, to show off what his team believes is the best of the province. 'As the Chair of the Council of the Federation, it's never been a more important time to welcome my fellow Premiers to Ontario to continue the work we've done over the past year to protect Canada and our economy,' Ford said in a statement ahead of the event. Story continues below advertisement 'This meeting will be an opportunity to work together on how to respond to President Trump's latest threat and how we can unleash the full potential of Canada's economy.' Ford welcomes country's leaders to cottage country The summer meeting of the Council of the Federation offers Premier Ford an opportunity to show off his province as he lets go of his role at the head of the group. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy A senior government source, speaking on background, said the annual meeting had a sense of 'friendly competition,' as hosts try to dazzle other leaders with the best of their province. Ford owns a cottage near Huntsville, set on the beautiful waterfront of a rural area. The source said the premier will host an intimate dinner there for leaders and their immediate family on Monday evening, the night before the event kicks off in earnest. Story continues below advertisement On Tuesday, Carney will take part in a meeting with the country's first ministers. The Ontario source said the premier's office expects that meeting to involve a briefing on Canada-U.S. trade negotiations and an early outline of how different governments will work together if 35 per cent tariffs hit. Then, Carney will depart, and the country's premiers will convene for a working lunch, attended by two former ambassadors. The conversations are expected to focus on U.S. trade relations, with an update on wildfire responses. During the evening, Ford will host a gala for provincial leaders, business and health care stakeholders, as well as Indigenous representatives. Ontario's Lieutenant Governor will also offer opening remarks at the evening reception. More MOUs and other meetings On Wednesday, the premiers will meet again — this time to discuss public safety and bail reform, as well as health care. The meeting will end with a news conference. Story continues below advertisement At the peripheries of the premiers' official itinerary, other meetings will also take place. Nursing stakeholders will take part in one early meeting, while Indigenous leaders will meet with premiers for discussions, too. Ontario, the source said, also plans to unveil new memoranda of understanding with provinces. They include new agreements to explore and advocate for pipelines, as well as promises to reduce internal trade barriers. The Council of the Federation has taken on increased significance in the face of tariffs and threats from the United States. The table allows the leaders of the country's various provinces and territories to find areas of agreement both on national projects and, most recently, on internal trade. Led by Ford and Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston, many provinces have introduced legislative and regulatory changes to reduce trade barriers between provinces. Moves to harmonize labour rights, safety standards and alcohol sales have all been introduced to make it easier to trade between provinces and attempt to reduce Canada's reliance on the United States. Recently, Ford has also joined Alberta Premier Danielle Smith in asking for new national pipelines to be built, framing the issue as one of national security.
Global News
a day ago
- Global News
Canada's premiers set for 3-day meeting in Ontario with trade top of mind
Tariffs and trade are top of the agenda as the country's premiers arrive in Ontario's cottage country for a three-day meeting that comes at a pivotal time for both Canada-U.S. and domestic relations. The premiers' summer gathering in Muskoka will also feature a Tuesday meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney, as trade talks with the United States are expected to intensify. Most of what the premiers are likely to discuss stems from U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs: trade negotiations, the direct impact on industries such as steel and aluminum, the increased pushes to remove interprovincial trade barriers and speed up major infrastructure and natural resource projects to counteract the effects of tariffs, as well as Indigenous communities' concerns about them. 1:07 Canada 'pretty difficult to deal with,' White House says as trade agreement deadline looms Day 1 of the premiers' meeting involves discussions with Indigenous leaders including the Assembly of First Nations, the Métis National Council and the Native Women's Association of Canada. Story continues below advertisement Carney himself is fresh off a meeting with hundreds of First Nations chiefs, many of whom have expressed concerns about their rights being sidelined as the prime minister looks to accelerate projects in the 'national interest.' Some of the top priorities premiers are pushing include pipelines and mining in Ontario's Ring of Fire region, and chiefs have said that must not happen by governments skirting their duty to consult. Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who has served for the past year as head of the Council of the Federation, is host of the meeting and said in a statement that protecting national interests will be top of mind. 'This meeting will be an opportunity to work together on how to respond to President Trump's latest threat and how we can unleash the full potential of Canada's economy,' Ford wrote. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Trump and Carney agreed in June at the G7 summit to try and reach a trade deal by July 21 but Trump recently moved that deadline to Aug. 1, while telling Carney he intends to impose 35 per cent across-the-board tariffs on Canada that same day. 5:51 Carney doubles down with counter tariffs Carney has said Canada is trying to get an agreement on softwood lumber exports included in the negotiations with the United States. Story continues below advertisement British Columbia Premier David Eby said he intends to raise the issue and others of particular importance to B.C. at the meeting. '(We want to) get access to the same level of attention, for example, on the softwood lumber as Ontario gets on the auto parts sector, (and) that we get the same amount of attention on capital projects as Alberta is currently getting in relation to their proposals,' Eby said last week in Victoria. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has been making a big push for new pipelines, but said during a press conference Friday that her focus would also be on premiers working together to address the tariff threat, including interprovincial trade. 'I was really pleased to sign (a memorandum of understanding) with Doug Ford during the time he was here in during Stampede, and other provinces are working on those same kind of collaborative agreements,' she said. 'We need to do more to trade with each other, and I hope that that's the spirit of the discussion.' Smith and Ford signed an MOU earlier this month to study new pipelines and rail lines between provinces, and both premiers also talked about wanting Carney to repeal a number of energy regulations like net-zero targets, the West Coast tanker ban and a proposed emissions cap. Ford has also taken a lead role on increasing interprovincial trade, signing MOUs with several provinces and enacting a law to remove all of Ontario's exceptions to free trade between the provinces and territories. Story continues below advertisement 6:11 Mapping Canada's strategy to combat U.S. tariffs Nova Scotia's Tim Houston is another premier banging the drum of interprovincial trade, saying the trade war is forcing action on it. 'We're seeing the benefit of working together to respond to economic threats from the U.S. by breaking down internal trade barriers and opportunities to expand in other international markets,' he wrote in a statement. Ford has said the premiers will also talk about emergency management, energy security, sovereignty and national security, health, and public safety. The premiers have also been pushing the federal government to reform bail laws and Carney said last week that legislation will be introduced in the fall and he expects to discuss the issue with the premiers on Tuesday. The premiers' summer meeting also signals a changing of the guard, with the role of chair of Council of the Federation moving between provinces annually. Story continues below advertisement 0:52 Mexico, Canada coordinate as Trump warns of new USMCA tariffs But after Ford is no longer chair, he's not expected to take too much of a back seat on all of the aforementioned issues. He is still premier of the most populous province, has built a strong relationship with Carney, often singing the prime minister's praises, and has done frequent American TV interviews making the case for increased trade over tariffs. Those network appearances, in part, earned him a nickname of 'Captain Canada' — a persona he used to massive political benefit. Ford made the fight against tariffs and Trump the central part of his re-election campaign and voters returned him to government with a third consecutive majority.
Global News
a day ago
- Global News
Tale of two cities: Why Edmonton builds homes faster than Toronto
Canada started building only slightly more homes in June than it did in May, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC) said on Wednesday. Compared to May, the annual rate of housing starts was largely flat with a 0.4 per cent increase, but it rose 14 per cent compared to this time last year. The national numbers mask stark regional disparities, however. 'Through the first six months of the year, national housing starts have increased marginally compared to 2024, however, new home construction varies significantly across Canada,' said Kevin Hughes, deputy chief economist at CMHC. Over the first six months of 2024, Edmonton started building 8,448 homes. That compares to 10,868 in the first six months this year — a jump of 29 per cent. Calgary also saw a significant improvement in the first six months of this year with a 32 per cent jump in housing starts to 14,712 compared to 11,178 in the first half of 2024. Story continues below advertisement 'Calgary and Edmonton have just been streets ahead of other cities and (especially) a lot of cities in Ontario, for instance, in making their zoning bylaws simpler as well as less restrictive,' said Carolyn Whitzman, senior housing researcher and adjunct professor at University of Toronto School of Cities. One of the biggest laggards when it comes to housing starts is the country's largest city. In the first months of 2024, Toronto started building 22,529 homes. This year, that number has dropped to 12,575 — a 44 per cent decline. 'Edmonton is one of the fastest cities in Canada when it comes to approving new housing and communities in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) are amongst the slowest. And that is certainly playing a role here,' said Mike Moffatt, founding director of the Missing Middle Initiative at the University of Ottawa. 'Toronto doesn't seem to be waking up and smelling the coffee,' Whitzman said, adding that cities such as Calgary and Edmonton end up with more housing starts because they prioritize building 'missing middle' housing. In many Canadian cities, strict zoning laws mean developers can build either single-family homes or condo towers. Homes that are neither — such as sixplexes and fourplexes — are often referred to as the 'missing middle' by advocates and researchers. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'Most of the homes that we've built over the last 40 or 50 years have been one of two varieties. They've been either single detached homes or they've been highrise condos. And both of those markets are having problems right now in our more expensive cities,' Moffatt said. Story continues below advertisement He added, 'Single detached homes have become so expensive, (many) middle class families can't afford them. And highrises serve a particular market and that's not really in demand right now.' A large part of Edmonton's success comes down to its approach to zoning, Whitzman said, an issue where Toronto seems to lag. Last week, the city council voted against a zoning bylaw that would limit mid-block infills to a maximum of eight units. 'Toronto is still betting on big, big, big condos that aren't doing well,' she said. 'Last week, a proposal that had been agreed on with the federal government to OK six units as-of-right with no parking minimums got restricted to a relatively small part of the central city. That gives you a sense of different kinds of approaches that different cities are taking.' Whitzman was referring to a Toronto city council decision that allowed the building of sixplexes in only nine city wards, with suburbs having the choice to opt in. In the rest of southern Ontario, the housing starts data is a mixed bag, with cities such as Hamilton and Ottawa building more than they did last year while others are building less., Meanwhile, British Columbia has started building more houses in two of the most expensive markets in the country. Vancouver saw 3,079 housing starts last month, compared to 1,767 in June last year, marking an increase of 74 per cent. Meanwhile, Victoria saw an increase of 187 per cent in housing starts. Whitzman said provincial support for the housing sector can be a major driver of housing starts. Story continues below advertisement B.C. is betting big on prefabricated or modular housing. In September last year, B.C. released a catalogue of pre-approved housing designs for prefab housing. Pre-fabricated housing or prefab construction is a method of building where the bulk of the construction happens off-site, often in a facility like a factory. Either a fully-constructed modular home or parts of a house are then shipped off to the location, where it is assembled and connected to utilities. '[B.C. has] got a much better sense of housing targets (compared to Ontario). It's providing much more funding to non-market developers. Some of the development in B.C., I can say with confidence, is non-market development, assisted by B.C.,' Whitzman said. Next week, Vancouver city council will consider rezoning 4,294 parcels of land in central parts of the city to allow larger buildings, including highrises. 1:58 New realtor trends emerging as housing market cools National picture While the country is building more houses than it did last year, experts still worry it is not nearly enough. Story continues below advertisement 'It's hard to get excited about June's housing starts. They were up 14 per cent year-over-year, which sounds impressive, but it adds up to about 2,700 units. That's not the kind of growth the country can really celebrate at this point,' said Clay Jarvis, mortgage expert at NerdWallet Canada. The slight 0.4 per cent increase compared to last month is meager, he continued. 'Any increase builders can notch in the current economic climate is somewhat of a win, but it's not moving the needle.' Jarvis added that U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war is also going to add more pressure on developers counting costs. 'It's hard to see starts taking a leap while the trade war with the U.S. drags on,' he said. 'Developers were already facing high building costs before Trump's tariffs were announced, and now they don't know how much it'll cost to complete their projects. That's a lot of risk to take on when there are millions of dollars at stake,' Jarvis said.
