Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation working with Therme on Ontario Place designs
Nation is also providing input on environmental issues amid criticism of development: chief
The chief of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation says they are involved in a "true partnership" with the company behind the controversial luxury spa planned for Ontario Place — a project she said will be a step toward reconciliation and community education.
Chief Claire Sault said the MCFN has been integrated "every step of the way" by Therme Canada, from the design process to plans for ongoing stewardship. Therme has a 95-year lease to build a destination spa and indoor water park on the west island of Ontario Place, the provincially-owned site on the city's lakeshore which is located within MCFN's treaty territory.
"I want us to have a footprint in our treaty area, to educate the public," Sault said. "I want our stories to be told."
She said the nation's knowledge keepers and staff have provided Therme input on ecological and environmental concerns raised by advocacy groups and some politicians.
As part of the consultation process, she said Therme reintroduced a certain species of fish, which she did not name, and added native plants to the area.
The nation also only agreed to the removal of over 800 trees on the site after Therme committed to restoring the greenery "above and beyond what's being taken out," she said.
Sault said she and some council members had met with "naysayers" about the project, though she didn't name them.
In those conversations, she said members of the nation explained "the long history of not having economic reconciliation" and MCFN's involvement in environmental issues related to the redevelopment.
Economic reconciliation refers in part to providing Indigenous communities with equitable access to opportunities for economic development, according to the federal government's website.
Sault said there will be opportunities for MCFN to secure contracts with Therme, such as for landscaping work on the site.
"My hope is that we continue down that path of building good relations, hearing difficult things when we need to or difficult feedback when we need to," she said.
"We're very open to that, but our elders always remind us to stay the course."
Development has faced criticism
Therme's plan for the west island has drawn considerable criticism.
Premier Doug Ford said in April that he was "very satisfied" with Ontario's deal with Therme, despite allegations first published by the New York TImes that Therme exaggerated its credentials in its pitch.
That report came after Ontario's auditor general criticized the provincial government's handling of the redevelopment in December, saying the bidding process was not "fair, transparent or accountable."
In her report, Shelley Spence said the redevelopment will likely cost the public purse roughly $2.24 billion — ballooning by more than $1.8 billion compared to projections in 2019.
Among environmental concerns about the redevelopment, local politicians and waterfront users have said the province's sewage plan for Ontario Place could pollute the West Channel.
But Sault said the MCFN will continue to follow its natural laws as the partnership with Therme moves forward.
"We're definitely committed to being good neighbours and continuing to be good neighbours to all of our treaty areas," she said. "That's not going to change."
Pavilion designs reflect MCFN storytelling
The property will include a public park featuring cultural elements of the MCFN, said Terence Radford, a partner at Trophic Design, a landscape architecture firm.
He said the site will also feature prominent use of Anishinaabemowin, allowing not only the general public to engage with the language, "but also Indigenous youth … that are living in the City of Toronto that maybe haven't had an opportunity to engage with elders or knowledge keepers to experience and engage with their language."
The property will feature an east and west pavilion that can be used as performance and event spaces, Radford said.
The pavilions draw on storytelling from MCFN elders, knowledge keepers and community members, he said. The structural designs are informed by the seasonal cycles, the calendar, the relationship to the turtle and star teachings, he said.
Design renderings for the west pavilion shows a turtle pattern embedded in its structure. Meanwhile, the east pavilion will include a viewing point to see particular constellations during the winter solstice, Radford said.
Plans also include sound and video installations within the pavilions to support an "ongoing relationship" with MCFN artists and storytellers, he said.
The redevelopment will also have two plazas. The South Shore Plaza will include artwork by an MCFN artist that tells the story of the Three Fires Confederacy, an alliance between the Potawatomi, Odawa and Ojibwe nations, renderings show.
While Toronto has visible cultural districts like Chinatown and Greektown, Radford said Indigenous people have been "largely invisible" in the city's building practices.
Involving MCFN in projects such as this one will help educate residents about the land that they live on, he said.
The redevelopment is set to be completed by 2029.
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With files from Shawn Jeffords, Talia Ricci and Mike Crawley