Cirque du Soleil moves show to port lands

[billonlogan]

Cirque du Soleil moves show to port lands

www.insidetoronto.ca/to/b...?loc=beach
JOANNA LAVOIE
02/01/07 12:06:00

A site in the port lands will be the new home of Cirque du Soleil's blue and yellow big top tent for a limited engagement showcase this August.

For more than 10 years, Cirque du Soleil held shows in a large parking lot at Ontario Place. However, to better serve its customers, the company has now decided to relocate its Toronto run to the port lands.

The production, which encompasses scores of tents including a 2,500-seat big top, trailers and other materials, will be housed near Cherry and Commissioners streets on land owned by the Toronto Economic Development Corporation (TEDCO).

"We've been in touch with (Cirque du Soleil) a lot over the years and bringing people down to the port lands is what TEDCO, the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation and the city is interested in doing," said Jeffrey Steiner, TEDCO's president and CEO, noting the organization is a big supporter of Toronto's tourism industry and the arts community.

He also said Cirque du Soleil's environmentally conscious mandate meshes well with TEDCO's goals as an arm's length branch of the City of Toronto, which owns numerous brownfield sites across the city.

Michael Kraljevic, the corporation's vice-president of real estate, said he reviewed TEDCO's list of properties and came up with the suitable location, a mild brownfield site in the port lands.

"The site is 45 to 50 acres. It was the former Imperial Oil site and a portion - maybe two or three acres - will be used for Cirque du Soleil's tents, offices, parking and other staging," he said.

"The land for the tent area is called hard surface and it is clean and usable. TEDCO and Cirque du Soleil will do some clean up of another portion of the site, which will be used for some parking."

Kraljevic also said the new site has several advantages over the Ontario Place.

"It's much better. It's bringing people to the port lands and it's safer for traffic and pedestrians," he said, noting any last-minute paperwork is currently being finalized.

The Toronto premier of the theatre company's new live touring show, titled Cirque 2007, will take place Aug. 9.

The presentation will run anywhere between four to six weeks depending on ticket sales and could be extended a few weeks longer based on high demand.

A recent press release described Cirque 2007, the show's working title, as "an energetic, compelling, funny and slightly provocative show" that "tells of the encounter between characters living in two parallel worlds."

The show will kick off in Montreal in the spring and make a stop in Quebec City before heading to Toronto and will then travel to various cities in the United States.

Tickets will be on sale for Cirque 2007 starting tomorrow at 9 a.m. and will range in price from $45 to $225. Those who purchase tickets online at www.cirquedusoleil.com also have the option of selecting their seats.

Cirque du Soleil, which is headquartered in Montreal, will present 13 different shows around the world in 2007.
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I think this is the site for the proposed arena and ice pads.

 

[billonlogan]

There is going to be a lot of activity in this area on Unwin Rd with Cirque moving in this summer, possible new ice rink complex and soccer fields. I hope they do something with the east parking lot at Cherry Beach. Clean it up and level off the parking lot.
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Contaminated plume cleaned up in port lands
Sludge, vapours were headed toward lake

JOANNA LAVOIE
Apr. 12, 2007
www.insideToronto.com

An underground pool of contaminated oil-based sludge in the port lands is being cleaned up before it reaches Lake Ontario.

The hydrocarbon plume, located beneath the former Safety Kleen plant on Unwin Road near Regatta Road, is on Toronto Economic Development Corporation (TEDCO)-owned land. The contaminated site is at 115 Unwin Ave., just west of the proposed interim sports fields.

TEDCO, in consultation with the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation (TWRC) and the City of Toronto, is organizing the site's clean up work.

At this point, work crews are installing retractor wells to extract the contaminated sludge and vapours.

For the short term, a section of the Martin Goodman Trail will be diverted near the site and public access to that area will be restricted. The initial process should last from six to eight weeks.

Jeffrey Steiner, TEDCO's president and CEO, said his side's been aware of the problem for some time and that it's necessary to clean it up before it becomes a bigger problem.

"TEDCO's been monitoring this for three years and it's moving toward the lake below grade," he explained, noting there's no risk to the public.

"The problem's been identified and we're cleaning it up. We've been working with the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) on this."

Steiner said TEDCO has taken a pro-active role in working to remediate the contaminated land in the port lands, an initiative recognized at the Canadian Urban Institute's annual Brownie Awards.

"We have a commitment to address environmental issues," said Steiner of the positive working relationship TEDCO has cultivated with the MOE.

Ward 30 Councillor Paula Fletcher (Toronto-Danforth) said she couldn't be happier the site is being cleaned up.

"I'm very relieved this underground toxic plume was caught before it went to the lake," she said, noting the remediation process is no small task.

"It's a serious contamination, a very high level toxic cleanup. It's a classic example of what's required to revitalize a toxic industrial area."

Steiner said that although a lot of work must be done clean up the site, in the end Torontonians will be able to enjoy a waterfront resource.

"It's a good investment," he said, explaining the long-term value of revitalizing abandoned land.

Steiner said such is the case with the 12-hectare Filmport Studios site, located south of Commissioners Street on TEDCO land. That property once housed an Imperial Oil tank farm.

As part of an overall environmental management strategy, the TWRC and TEDCO are also working together to restore the Cherry Beach area. In April and May, parts of the Martin Goodman Trail as well as Cherry Beach's east parking lot will also be closed as cleanup work is being done.

 

[yelluwskys]

How many people can really afford to see this show anymore? Imagine a family of 4, ouch!

Funny, this show's Canadian...yet, it feels so "foreign" to me.

 

[building babel]

TEDCO seems to be going into overdrive these days. The Mayor sees his second term mandate from the voters as getting things done on the waterfront and, what with one thing or another, he seems to be doing it.

 

[EnviroTO]

^ Yes, but TEDCO and Miller are doing it in a completely disorganized way. It is like setting out to paint a portrait and then throwing paint at a canvas simply to say you are done. The Cirque tent is no big deal since it is temporary... Symphony, ice rinks, and film studios are permanent and should be part of a masterplan.

 

[building babel]

Symphony is a perfect example of what's going on: if Miller is going to defeat Zanta and get re-elected in 2010 the sooner these projects get started ( and finished ) the better. He has a house architect, he has TEDCO, and he has a mandate from the voters to get things built down there one way or another.

Zanta's campaign, meanwhile, gathers momentum.

 

[FutureMayor]

I actually don't agree with the decision to move Ciruqe from Ontario Place to what is literally in the middle of nowhere.

Good luck trying to get to that Portlands site by foot or transit, at least with Ontario Place the TTC and GO Transit within two blocks of the site.

Louroz

 

[billonlogan]

I suspect many attending the show will be from out of town and planning to drive. Parking at OP is limited and not guaranteed to be available.

 

[billonlogan]

Cirque du Soleil to arrive in port lands in August

JOANNA LAVOIE
04/26/07
www.insideToronto.com

The Toronto Economic Development Corporation (TEDCO) has elaborated on its plans to welcome a new Cirque du Soleil production to the port lands this summer.

This week, TEDCO announced the Montreal-based theatre company would showcase its latest production - now called Kooza - from Aug. 9 to Sept. 2.

Kooza, which kicks off in Montreal this spring, will be located on a remediated brownfield site near Cherry and Commissioners streets. The production will include scores of tents including the 2,500-seat blue and yellow big top, trailers and other materials. A portion of the 45-acre former Imperial Oil site will also be used for parking.

For more than 10 years, Cirque du Soleil held shows in a large parking lot at Ontario Place. However, to better serve its customers, the theatre company has now decided to relocate its Toronto run to the port lands.

The show will feature more than two hours of family entertainment.

In a release, Mayor David Miller noted the tourism benefits of seasonally hosting Cirque du Soleil.

"Cirque's international reputation for artistic excellence and true family entertainment will be a welcome addition to Toronto's cultural community this summer. In addition to being a great attraction for Toronto families, it is yet another great reason to visit Toronto this summer," he said.

Jeffrey Steiner, TEDCO's president and CEO, reiterated the economic benefits for the port lands in hosting the popular attraction.

"It will be a tremendous boost to the port lands area and will allow Torontonians and visitors to see the incredible potential of this area as it becomes revitalized," Steiner said.

Cirque du Soleil has entertained nearly 60 million people since its inception two decades ago. This year, 15 shows will be presented at once in various cities across the planet.

Visit www.cirquedusoleil.com for details.