OPSEU: Tory vision is Ontario Place playground for rich
Thursday, July 26, 2012 by: SooToday.com Staff
NEWS RELEASE
ONTARIO PUBLIC SERVICE EMPLOYEES UNION
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Ontario Place vision will be 'a playground for rich'
TORONTO - (July 26, 2012) - John Tory's recommendations for the revitalization on Ontario Place will likely result in affluent condo owners having their own private playground.
The report of the voluntary advisory panel, led by the former Ontario Progressive Conservative leader, contained few concrete details.
Besides condos, Tory recommends that a music venue similar to the Forum be built, the iconic Cinesphere remain, and that the public have access to the waterfront.
OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas said with condos going into the space, the public will have little or no access to one of the province's most beautiful waterfront areas.
"Those wealthy enough to afford to live there will likely demand and receive exclusive access to the waterfront," Thomas said. "Public access will be an afterthought, and most of the decisions will be made by the private condo developers themselves. Ontario Place, once the prime public event space in the province, will become nothing more than a playground for the rich."
No details on funding were released in the report, as Tory's panel assumes money will come from private investors.
Also not addressed was the lack of proper public transit to the area, which would cost in excess of $100 million to rectify.
Tory confirmed that transit is not a priority of any government.
"Private money, private developers and a lack of proper public transit all adds up to a big loss for the people of Toronto and the rest of Ontario," Thomas said. "It's sad to see what was once a space free for all to enjoy become essentially Toronto's newest gated community."
On February 1, 2012 the provincial government announced the park was shutting its gates after 40 years of public operation after it spent $10.8 million to improve the park in 2010.
Last June, participants in a packed town hall meeting at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre told John Tory they were adamantly opposed to condominiums and retail shopping space.
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geterdun 7/26/2012 8:22:31 PM ReportThe conservative dream ...eliminate access to public land and allow only the rich to be the ones who count... conservative greed makes me puke... time for civil unrest to get our message to these greedy pigs........Hey Tory,Hudak and Harper.......how about cutting your gold plated pensions???????? Greed!!!!!!!!!!!Its all about them........MORE for us less for everyone else. conservative GREED!!!!!!!!
I'm In 7/26/2012 8:41:24 PM Reportgeterdun: right on, time for the working folk of this province to shut it down, that means all the slaves stay home from work for a couple of days then we will see who listens.
geterdun 7/27/2012 12:00:48 AM ReportIf the cons want civil unrest so be it....... I would have to say to them keep up the attack against unions and we will see just who it is that makes this Province and country tick.........
Let the games begin!!!!!!!!!!
cooker_eh 7/27/2012 10:47:14 AM ReportROOOAAARRRRR!!!! YAAAAA!!!! Let's get em! Wait, this is in T.O. right? Never mind.
A.E.D. 7/27/2012 11:31:19 AM ReportI hope the EDC is taking notes,and see thur little group has no say on whatever the private sector does if it decides to purchace our TENT.Why cant you start on the little things for this community,such as having open washrooms at our lock,the sale of at least a hotdog on our boardwalk,or at least a vendor on site with all these items thru the summer months.But wait the stationmall doesnt allow any food sales near them, they want tourist to go in thur mall and pay 3.00 for a bottle of water or eat at thur over priced food courts what a sham and they want to promote tourism here. GIVE ME A BREAK.We should copy SOO Michigans water front they seem to have all of the above and more with a third of our population
speed7 7/28/2012 2:12:50 AM ReportOur american friends across the ditch are bold have no fear of taking investment opportunities and have vision for their city. A smaller city at that.
We here on our side have no vision, no desire, no good people running this city who just dont care. Also soon, a city with no tent too.
I cant wait to hear what our lily livered, overly paid Elite Dining Club will do for us shortly. My guess is absolutely nothing.
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