The battle over the Toronto mayor’s office will decide not only the direction of the city over the next three years, but may also set the tone for how the city and province interact with one another over the future of Ontario Place.
The province’s decision to redevelop the significant portion of the city’s waterfront has been contentious, with many giving the Ford government’s plan a thumbs-down over the inclusion of a private spa. While the Ford government argues the land has long been underused and could benefit from a major tourist attraction, local grassroots organizations have countered the plans would remove naturalized areas and prevent public access to regions of the waterfront.
On Tuesday, mayoral frontrunner Olivia Chow warned Premier Doug Ford to work with the city, not against it on the issue.
“Whether we call it lobbying, negotiating, fighting, it’s the same thing,” Chow told reporters.
“It is saying to Doug Ford, our premier, that if you’re for the people, listen to to the people,” she said. “People want to keep Toronto’s waterfront here in Ontario Place public.”
But not all the leading candidates agree. Mark Saunders, a former Progressive Conservative candidate and a member of the provincial task force tasked with redeveloping Ontario Place, said he is in the best position to work with the province on the matter.
“Having an inside knowledge of what’s going on and what needs to happen, I have the best chance of when things are done,” he said.
“Toronto will get the most benefit out of any opportunity that will be at Ontario Place,” said Saunders, noting local Indigenous groups had been consulted in the province’s redevelopment efforts.
Premier Ford may have warned mayoral candidates that the sign outside the property bears the jurisdiction his government controls, but the candidates have still spent much of their time focused on the waterfront region.
Ana Bailao’s pitch to move the Ontario Science Centre to Ontario Place beat the province’s own announcement to do just that by weeks. Bailao has frequently warned voters she is the only candidate that can work with Ford on the matter and took another swipe at Chow at her Tuesday announcement.
“Olivia Chow is running as the NDP candidate,” Bailao said. “She’s running against the provincial government and the federal government and she’s running against the best interests of Torontonians.”
Chow has hardly been the only outspoken voice on the Ontario Place plans. On the same day the Science Centre swap was proposed, Josh Matlow warned the premier that he would have a fight on his hands if the interests of Torontonians weren’t respected under his potential leadership.
Mitzie Hunter has also spoken out against the province’s plans to move the Science Centre, arguing it would leave the Thorncliffe Park neighbourhood with few attractions or public spaces in its absence.
At a provincial announcement, reporters asked Ford whether the city was in for years of gridlock and fighting over the future of Ontario Place if Olivia Chow were to win. Ford, who revealed Saunders is his preferred choice for mayor, vowed to work with whoever wins.
“We go through the democratic process — she gets elected, I’ll work with her,” said Ford, “and we’ll sit down, come up with common ground.”
Ford noted despite being former political rivals with Andrea Horwath and Steven Del Duca at Queen’s Park, he now has good working relationships with them in their new roles working as the mayors of Hamilton and Vaughan.
As for what tone she would take if she wins and finds a fight on her hands with the province over Ontario Place, Chow was strategic in her response.
“We can make it simple and easy and smooth in terms of negotiation,” she said, “or we could cause a big political storm which … no one wants.”
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