QUEEN’S PARK – Ontario NDP MPPs Chris Glover (Spadina–Fort York) and Bhutila Karpoche (Parkdale–High Park), GTA Issues critic, issued the following in response to the government’s latest announcement about the future of Ontario Place and the Ontario Science Centre:
“The Ford government has no idea about Ontarians’ priorities – they are refusing to see the absurdity of spending $650 million of public money to hand over a piece of public land for a European luxury spa and refusing to understand why Ontario Place needs be a public space accessible for all.
Now they’re planning to move the Ontario Science Centre, an integral part of the Flemingdon Park community. Decisions like these cannot be made without transparency, accountability, and most importantly, an opportunity for local communities to weigh in. Ontarians deserve better than back-of-the-napkin planning. This is just another example of how out-of-touch Ford and his government are.
Time and time again, Ford treats public assets like his own private property while the interests of everyday Ontarians fall by the wayside. This decision isn’t about housing – just like the Conservatives’ decision to pave over Greenbelt isn’t about housing. If this were about housing, we’d see a commitment to use public lands for public housing.
The communities surrounding the Ontario Science Centre are densely populated and have been traditionally underserved. It is not just a tourist attraction or a building that is falling apart, as Ford described. It provides good local unionized jobs. It's a community hub that helps newcomers feel more at home. Taking this away without even talking to the people who will be impacted is simply disrespectful.”