Ford says he's 'very satisfied' with Therme deal despite allegations company misrepresented itself
Premier spoke at unveiling of final designs for controversial Ontario Place redevelopment
At the unveiling of the final designs for the province's controversial redevelopment of Ontario Place Tuesday, Premier Doug Ford said he had reviewed Ontario's deal with Therme and is "very satisfied," despite allegations the company had misrepresented itself in its bid to run a spa on the site.
This spring, the Ontario government was grilled over allegations first published by the New York Times that Therme exaggerated the number of spas it was running in Europe at the time.
Auditors had also found the company was losing money and had less than one million euros in equity, according to the New York Times.
The allegations followed an auditor general's report from late last year that found the contracting process — which landed Therme its 95-year lease at the site — was not "fair, transparent or accountable."
Ford said in April the province would re-examine the deal, and reporters asked him for an update at a news conference at Ontario Place Tuesday.
"I did double check, and I'm very, very satisfied," Ford said.
Ford was asked where Therme is getting financing for its project, but said he didn't know.
"It's none of my business, as long as they come here," he said. "But they seem to be moving forward and have financing."
Before any of the allegations against Therme, the project had already drawn criticism for including a private, luxury spa on a provincially-owned public space.
In a statement provided by Therme to the CBC in April, Therme partly attributed the discrepancy over the number of spas it operates to a collaboration with the Wund Organization, with the architectural, engineering and operations teams behind both businesses playing "a central role in designing and building the European Therme destinations.
"Following Mr. Wund's passing, this expertise was consolidated within Therme Group, where many of the original team members have continued to work for nearly a decade," the statement reads. "This collaboration partnership was formalized in 2019."
Science Centre questions remain
The province has not made any decisions on a temporary science centre while a new one is being built at Ontario Place, the infrastructure minister said Tuesday, despite previously indicating one would be operating by Jan. 1, 2026.
The future of two science centre pop-up exhibits in Toronto has also not been decided, said Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma.
"We have an opportunity to make sure that we bring the exhibits across Ontario," Surma said.
"There are many municipalities and organizations that have put up their hand and reached out to government saying they would like the exhibits to come to them."
Surma said the Ontario Science Centre is evaluating its options.
The province abruptly closed the science centre a year ago, saying the roof needed urgent repairs — a claim workers and critics do not agree with.
Soon after the closure, the government issued a request for proposals for a temporary location to operate until the Ontario Place site opens. It said it was working "expeditiously" to find an interim site and wanted it to open no later than Jan. 1, 2026.
But now, Surma says the science centre is "looking at what programming will look like" and no decisions have been made on the pop-ups or a more permanent site in the meantime.
The science centre union, Local 549 of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, recently said management told them plans for a temporary location had been paused and did not say what the future holds for an interim location.
$400M parking garage included in final designs
Images released at Tuesday's unveiling show designs for Therme's waterpark and spa on the west island, as well as the relocated Ontario Science Centre on the mainland, an expanded concert venue at the current site of the Budweiser Stage and a multi-storey parking garage.
Ford said the waterfront garage, which the province is responsible for building under its contract with Therme, will cost about $400 million, but is expected to generate $60 million in gross revenue annually.
"That's a massive return on investment," he said.
The garage will offer 3,500 spots, Ford said, 1,700 more than required under the lease. Ford said he believes the above-ground building, expected to be five levels, will blend into its surroundings without compromising the view from the waterfront.
Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner released a statement Tuesday saying it made no sense for the province to pay for a parking garage "to serve a luxury spa that Ontarians never asked for." Ontario Place is also already located next to GO Transit and a future subway stop on the Ontario Line, he said.
"This parking lot will usher in even more traffic, increasing congestion and adding to Toronto's gridlock," Schreiner said. "It is a reckless misuse of public land and a waste of money."
NDP critic Chris Glover said he is not only concerned about it interrupting the view of the water, but also about how expensive the fees will be.
"The idea of public parkland is that people should be able to access it and if they're going to be charging for parking, then it shouldn't be at a for profit," he said.
"They shouldn't be trying to generate money from it. They should be making this as accessible as possible to the people of Ontario."
The redeveloped Ontario Place will also have more than 50 acres of public trails, green space, playgrounds and beaches, as well as an updated marina, Ford said.
Ford repeated the province's claim Tuesday that the redeveloped Ontario Place is expected to draw up to six million visitors a year. That figure has been disputed by experts, who note that the CN Tower only draws 1.8 million visitors annually, and Ford's prediction would put Ontario Place on par with the Eiffel Tower as a draw for tourists.
"Our government is returning this iconic destination to the people of Ontario," Ford said. "We're building a world class, year-round destination for everyone to enjoy."
The province first announced its plans to redevelop Ontario Place in 2021. The site opened in 1971 but was closed in 2012 after years of declining attendance.
Ford said he's hopeful the redevelopment will be completed and open by 2029, saying, "I'm just going to push like crazy … because I can't wait for this to open up."
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With files from The Canadian Press