Ontario Premier Doug Ford says the convention centre proposal would proceed through the same environmental processes as other projects.Patrick Doyle/Reuters
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has confirmed he is looking to create artificial land in Lake Ontario on Toronto’s waterfront to build a multibillion-dollar convention centre.
Mr. Ford, speaking to reporters on Friday, confirmed a report in The Globe and Mail that he is exploring the idea of using millions of tonnes of fill to accommodate a two-million-square-foot convention centre, potentially somewhere between the city’s Humber Bay Park and Ontario Place.
However, he disputed the characterization that it would be an island – describing it instead as expanding the land.
“I wouldn’t call it an island, but we may look at putting fill in until we can put a convention centre. We’re losing out on so many large conventions in the world because we just don’t have the size,” he told reporters on Friday at an unrelated event in Mississauga.
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“We have a tremendous amount of fill right now, and we need to expand the land. I did talk to the mayor about it, and she was endorsing it. We need more land. We need a world class convention centre to attract more tourists more jobs, and this is what it’s all about.”
Mr. Ford added that the proposal would proceed through the same environmental processes as other projects.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow’s office didn’t directly respond to the Premier’s comments about an endorsement, but her spokesperson said the mayor hasn’t seen a formal plan from the province.
“The Mayor has said she is prepared to work with the province if they plan to invest in upgrading the convention centre to attract more visitors and more business. This could help support our local economy and bring in more customers for Toronto’s small businesses,” said spokesperson Braman Thillainathan in a written statement.
“Any major development proposal would be reviewed to ensure it is in the best interest of Toronto and communities along the waterfront. We have not received a formal proposal on the future of the convention centre.”
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The Premier said Friday that he’s looking at other options for the convention centre as well, and promised to build something “out of this world.”
The provincial opposition parties have criticized the idea of using fill to house the new convention centre, with interim Liberal leader John Fraser calling it a “fantasy island” and NDP Leader Marit Stiles saying the Premier is spending money on “vanity projects” but not on priorities such as high-grocery prices or long emergency-room waits.
The Globe reported Thursday that a new island is one of a handful of locations the Premier and his officials believe has the capacity to house the convention centre, according to two sources.
No extensive feasibility studies or professional analysis has been done on the idea, one of the sources said, and the location is one of several options being explored for a project still in its early stages. The Globe is not identifying the sources as they were not authorized to discuss the deliberations.
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The province has also considered the Cadillac Fairview-owned East Harbour development site, a former soap factory east of the Don River that is home to a future stop on the provincial government’s Ontario Line subway, and where there are large-scale plans for high-density housing and offices.
Finding a suitable site in the revitalizing Port Lands area on the city’s eastern shoreline has been discussed, as has making use of the Toronto-owned Exhibition Place, which is also on the future Ontario Line and has large, existing convention facilities that could be expanded.
At recent unrelated public events, Mr. Ford has floated his idea for a new convention centre in Toronto, saying the proposed facility would be “world-class” and cause “shock and awe,” mentioning the large McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago.
He has suggested a price tag in the billions. He has also in recent weeks mused about the need to find a home for soil excavated from tunnelling transit projects.