Boaters forced from Ontario Place Marina as construction begins on controversial spa project
CBC
Jason Wren received an email from Ontario Place Marina on Feb. 14, but he says it was anything but a sweet Valentine.
Instead, it was a message telling the Toronto-based artist he would have to find a new home.
Wren says he and hundreds of other people who keep their boats at Ontario Place were told "construction activities" have started and they would not be allowed to keep their boats there due to safety concerns.
"Everybody's reaction was, 'What now?'" said Wren, who lives on his boat for nearly half the year and is now scrambling for a place to live this summer.
The construction marks the beginning of a controversial plan to transform parts of Ontario Place into a private water park and spa with underground parking for over 2,000 vehicles.
Wren says there are five- to six-year waiting lists for other marinas around the city,. He says Ontario Place was the most affordable marina in Toronto.
"Now you've got 240 boaters clamouring for space to put their boats," he told CBC Toronto.
He says there was no timeline provided for the work set to begin this spring, which the email from Ontario Place Marina describes as necessary for the site's infrastructure, including sewage, water, electrical and gas services.
"We look forward to re-opening an updated marina facility at the future redeveloped Ontario Place," the email reads.
Austrian-based Therme is behind the spa project, saying it would turn the 155-acre waterfront park into a "world-class year-round destination for all."
But the project leaves many worried about the character of Ontario Place, especially for boaters who aren't sure they'll be able to return to the marina.
"I know guys who've been here for 20 years, 25 years," said Wren. "This is their family, this is their cottage. I have friends who have gotten married on their boats here."
"It's a nice, tight-knit community."
Organizers of a Facebook group called Ontario Place Boaters Community have written to Kinga Surma, Ontario's infrastructure minister, and Janet Gates, the CEO of Ontario Place, requesting they be guaranteed renewal of their slips at a legacy rate and given a reopening date well in advance.
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