Red October
Senior Member
If that was true you'd know it was a nice piece of greenspace that was well-used and not in need of razing and privatizing by a vindictive suburban government.
Toronto Ontario Place | ?m | ?s | Infrastructure ON
- Thread starter vistaway
- Start date
generalcanada
Senior Member
we have been down this road before, the childrens village and the waterslide were most definitely not well used. neither were the paths for that matter tbh but that will come back better anyway
NEWS RELEASE
Province Building New OPP Detachment at Ontario Place
Increased police presence will support upload of the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway and enhance park safety
April 24, 2026
Ministry of the Solicitor General
TORONTO — To support the upload of the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway from the City of Toronto to the province, the Ontario government has launched a Request for Proposals to support the construction of a new Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) detachment on Ontario Place’s East Island. This detachment will support year-round policing at the new Ontario Place as well as traffic patrol on the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway once the roadways are designated as King’s Highways and uploaded to the province. The detachment will include a helicopter pad, a proposed marine unit and the first OPP Mounted Unit in Ontario to enhance patrol operations at the park, which is expected to attract approximately six million visitors annually.
“Protecting Ontario starts with keeping people safe where they live, work and play, and that’s exactly what this investment delivers,” said Michael Kerzner, Solicitor General of Ontario. “This new OPP detachment will be well-positioned to patrol our highways, maintain a strong on-site policing presence and ensure the safety of families and all those visiting Ontario Place.”
The OPP detachment will be part of a new administration and maintenance complex that will replace the existing administration building at Ontario Place. The detachment will house specialized policing vehicles and operational functions required for highway patrol and onsite policing needs.
“The OPP is proud to continue working alongside the Toronto Police Service,” said Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner Thomas Carrique. “A modern and purpose-built detachment will ensure the OPP are able to maintain the safety and security of the new Ontario Place and fulfil our traffic safety responsibilities related to the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway being designated as King’s Highways.”
As part of the New Deal for Toronto, ownership and maintenance of the Gardiner Expressway and DVP are being transferred to the province to ensure these vital highways remain safe, reliable, toll free and in good repair, helping to fight gridlock and keeping people and goods moving across the Greater Toronto Area.
Quick Facts
• Consistent with other Kings Highways in the City of Toronto, the OPP will be responsible for traffic patrol on the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway. The Toronto Police Service will maintain responsibility for all other non-traffic patrol related policing functions.
• The province is issuing a staged Request for Proposals (RFP) to design and construct a new administrative and maintenance building and OPP Detachment as part of the Ontario Place Revitalization Project located along the East Island.
• Mounted policing units are well-suited to large, high-traffic park and public realm settings, providing police with enhanced visibility in large crowds, accessibility to pedestrian areas and improved crowd management capability.
• The Gardiner Expressway and DVP are nationally significant economic corridors tied to the provincial highway network, facilitating domestic and international trade, boosting GDP and supporting millions of visitors to Toronto annually.
Quotes
"Each year, the revitalized Ontario Place is expected to welcome up to six million visitors, making it one of Ontario’s top tourism and cultural destinations. Our government is ensuring it has the strong and reliable police presence it needs year-round. The new on-site OPP detachment will strengthen public safety and help ensure visitors can enjoy Ontario Place safely and with confidence."
- Stan Cho
Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming
"Our government is making historic investments in highway infrastructure to fight gridlock and keep people and goods moving across Ontario. By taking ownership of the Gardiner Expressway and DVP, we are keeping these highways toll-free for the long term and helping the more than 140,000 drivers who rely on them every day get where they need to go safely and reliably."
- Prabmeet Sarkaria
Minister of Transportation
Province Building New OPP Detachment at Ontario Place
Increased police presence will support upload of the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway and enhance park safety
April 24, 2026
Ministry of the Solicitor General
TORONTO — To support the upload of the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway from the City of Toronto to the province, the Ontario government has launched a Request for Proposals to support the construction of a new Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) detachment on Ontario Place’s East Island. This detachment will support year-round policing at the new Ontario Place as well as traffic patrol on the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway once the roadways are designated as King’s Highways and uploaded to the province. The detachment will include a helicopter pad, a proposed marine unit and the first OPP Mounted Unit in Ontario to enhance patrol operations at the park, which is expected to attract approximately six million visitors annually.
“Protecting Ontario starts with keeping people safe where they live, work and play, and that’s exactly what this investment delivers,” said Michael Kerzner, Solicitor General of Ontario. “This new OPP detachment will be well-positioned to patrol our highways, maintain a strong on-site policing presence and ensure the safety of families and all those visiting Ontario Place.”
The OPP detachment will be part of a new administration and maintenance complex that will replace the existing administration building at Ontario Place. The detachment will house specialized policing vehicles and operational functions required for highway patrol and onsite policing needs.
“The OPP is proud to continue working alongside the Toronto Police Service,” said Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner Thomas Carrique. “A modern and purpose-built detachment will ensure the OPP are able to maintain the safety and security of the new Ontario Place and fulfil our traffic safety responsibilities related to the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway being designated as King’s Highways.”
As part of the New Deal for Toronto, ownership and maintenance of the Gardiner Expressway and DVP are being transferred to the province to ensure these vital highways remain safe, reliable, toll free and in good repair, helping to fight gridlock and keeping people and goods moving across the Greater Toronto Area.
Quick Facts
• Consistent with other Kings Highways in the City of Toronto, the OPP will be responsible for traffic patrol on the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway. The Toronto Police Service will maintain responsibility for all other non-traffic patrol related policing functions.
• The province is issuing a staged Request for Proposals (RFP) to design and construct a new administrative and maintenance building and OPP Detachment as part of the Ontario Place Revitalization Project located along the East Island.
• Mounted policing units are well-suited to large, high-traffic park and public realm settings, providing police with enhanced visibility in large crowds, accessibility to pedestrian areas and improved crowd management capability.
• The Gardiner Expressway and DVP are nationally significant economic corridors tied to the provincial highway network, facilitating domestic and international trade, boosting GDP and supporting millions of visitors to Toronto annually.
Quotes
"Each year, the revitalized Ontario Place is expected to welcome up to six million visitors, making it one of Ontario’s top tourism and cultural destinations. Our government is ensuring it has the strong and reliable police presence it needs year-round. The new on-site OPP detachment will strengthen public safety and help ensure visitors can enjoy Ontario Place safely and with confidence."
- Stan Cho
Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming
"Our government is making historic investments in highway infrastructure to fight gridlock and keep people and goods moving across Ontario. By taking ownership of the Gardiner Expressway and DVP, we are keeping these highways toll-free for the long term and helping the more than 140,000 drivers who rely on them every day get where they need to go safely and reliably."
- Prabmeet Sarkaria
Minister of Transportation
fiendishlibrarian
Active Member
That's an interesting development. It tells me that the forthcoming closures of the Gardiner and DVP for maintenance might be one of the last times the city does so, maybe the next year or so and that's it.
Northern Light
Superstar
Last I heard, (a few months ago now)..... City staff still had no idea how the upload would be managed. ie. Would existing City staff responsible for the highways be uploaded to the MTO, and their offices moved accordingly? or Would the City maintin things under contract to the MTO? I'll have to check in to see if there's been any news.
To this point, its been all City, with the province simply approving and paying the bills.
I assume they would want the project staff for the rebuild to stay w/that. But TBD.
Mihairokov
Senior Member
The Toronto Police Association has come out against this, FWIW.
txlseries4
Active Member
“The Toronto Police Association and its members have appreciated the ongoing support from Minister Kerzner, which makes today’s announcement even more difficult to understand.
Without meaningful consultation, the Solicitor General has concluded that the OPP is better equipped to address traffic safety on our major arterial routes and to provide policing services, including Mounted and Marine functions at Ontario Place and along its waterfront.
Not only are we fundamentally opposed to this decision, but we believe it constitutes a gross overreach into what is clearly within our members’ jurisdiction, as entrenched in our collective agreements.
Our members are experts in recognizing and managing traffic patterns and crime trends within Toronto’s boundaries. They are uniquely positioned to respond and coordinate closely with one another and with other support units across the city to keep traffic flowing and the public safe.
Almost every call in the city, regardless of its location, requires a multi-agency response. It does not make operational sense to bring in another response unit, such as the OPP.
We believe this move will inevitably fragment the delivery of traffic enforcement and general policing services, increasing stress for commuters and posing a potential risk to public safety.
If the Solicitor General wants to invest in the safety and well-being of those who live, work, and visit Toronto, we recommend expanding our Traffic Services Unit, Mounted Unit, and Marine Unit, or addressing our request to support staffing and resources for special events and protest management.
We strongly encourage the Chief of Police and the Chair of the Police Service Board to stand up for their members and consider all options. Outsourcing police services in our city is never an option. It demands that those in leadership positions have difficult conversations and do the right thing, including legal action if necessary.
ShonTron
Moderator
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It’s going to include a mounted unit for some reason. The OPP doesn’t have a mounted unit.
UtakataNoAnnex
Superstar
^...participants having to negotiate around horse poop on a busy day should be a fun thing. /s
xmyth_
Senior Member
So when the unmaintained Gardiner falls in chunks onto Lakeshore- will the OPP respond? And how?
Lyphe
Active Member
I live downtown and concur with the other comment. It needed work. Comparing the area you used to enjoy walking around to what it is now, in mid construction phase, is troll'esk. How about you come back and comment when it's all complete and we can compare then. At that point, you can rightly decide if you prefer 'what was' or 'what is'.
lenaitch
Senior Member
Meh. Turf protection. If the two roads are unloaded to provincial highway status, the legislation is clear that they would become OPP jurisdiction, no different than any other 400-series highway within the bounds of the city or any other municipality.
“The Toronto Police Association and its members have appreciated the ongoing support from Minister Kerzner, which makes today’s announcement even more difficult to understand.
Without meaningful consultation, the Solicitor General has concluded that the OPP is better equipped to address traffic safety on our major arterial routes and to provide policing services, including Mounted and Marine functions at Ontario Place and along its waterfront.
Not only are we fundamentally opposed to this decision, but we believe it constitutes a gross overreach into what is clearly within our members’ jurisdiction, as entrenched in our collective agreements.
Our members are experts in recognizing and managing traffic patterns and crime trends within Toronto’s boundaries. They are uniquely positioned to respond and coordinate closely with one another and with other support units across the city to keep traffic flowing and the public safe.
Almost every call in the city, regardless of its location, requires a multi-agency response. It does not make operational sense to bring in another response unit, such as the OPP.
We believe this move will inevitably fragment the delivery of traffic enforcement and general policing services, increasing stress for commuters and posing a potential risk to public safety.
If the Solicitor General wants to invest in the safety and well-being of those who live, work, and visit Toronto, we recommend expanding our Traffic Services Unit, Mounted Unit, and Marine Unit, or addressing our request to support staffing and resources for special events and protest management.
We strongly encourage the Chief of Police and the Chair of the Police Service Board to stand up for their members and consider all options. Outsourcing police services in our city is never an option. It demands that those in leadership positions have difficult conversations and do the right thing, including legal action if necessary.
There's a decent chance the MTO folks don't know either. Being only kinda-sorta a provincial responsibility would be new ground.
The same way if a piece fell off the 401 overpass at Leslie.
The whole announcement is odd. I can see a need for a separate detachment to police the uploaded roads if it has been determined that they can't be efficiently served by the detachment at Keele, with OP duties being a proximate spin-off.
I don't get the whole 'marine' and 'mounted' unit for such a small plot, keeping in mind that the Therme footprint would be private property.
For those who don't know, the OPP did have a seasonal detachment at Ontario Place from opening until the late 1980s/early 90s. It was open during OP hours and at times was quite busy depending on who was playing at the Forum and CNE stadium. There were a number of issues since everything had to be processed through TPS (arrests, property, etc.). OP did have a helipad but the only time I saw it used was during the CNE airshow when a helicopter was spotted there.
adys123
Active Member
Maybe this also has to do with expanded policing for the airport?
xmyth_
Senior Member
What if I can already envision how it will be? There will be simple manicured paths that will have plants to start, but with the lake Therme won’t bother cultivating and maintaining, so after a few years they’ll just put down crushed gravel.
These paths will wind around some areas that look nice, but will mostly be to peer in on the paid areas of the mega spa. If you feel like adventuring, you’ll find a path that winds around the blank side of the building where they keep dumpsters, and vent chlorine smells, like any other large swimming pool or ymca.
They’ll choose to keep all the great views and activities inside…where you have to pay to access. Because Ontario is just that, a mega spa for the rich who can afford to pay for access.
lenaitch
Senior Member
That would also be 'new ground'. Airports in Canada are normally the responsibility of the police of jurisdiction.