Claims that Ontario Place construction will send heaps of raw sewage into Lake Ontario are unfounded, the Ministry of Tourism responded on Wednesday after a group that opposes the plan accused the Ford government of flushing public health concerns.<\/p>\n
Ontario Place for All held a morning news conference, accusing the province of skirting public consultation and putting the public\u2019s health at risk with its Therme spa plan for the site.<\/a><\/p>\n The grassroots group claims construction work that is currently underway on the Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) system across from Ontario Place \u201chas capacity to allow raw sewage to be discharged into the water along the lakeshore where the public regularly swims, paddles, and gathers.\u201d<\/p>\n Furthermore it takes issue with the Ford government\u2019s moves to withdraw its Environmental Registry of Ontario (ERO) posting and pass Bill 5, legislation, \u201cwhich removes the requirement for public consultation on this type of infrastructure work going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a shocking abuse of power,\u201d said Spadina-Fort York MPP Chris Glover. \u201cThe Ford government changed the law so they wouldn\u2019t have to listen to the public, and now they\u2019re moving ahead with construction that puts raw sewage right where people interact with the water.<\/p>\n \u201cFamilies deserve clean, safe beaches \u2014 not sewage dumps to support a $2.2 billion taxpayer-funded foreign mega-spa at Ontario Place.\u201d<\/p>\n The Ministry of Tourism was quick to respond, saying sewage overflow is the city\u2019s responsibility and has nothing to do with the Ontario Place work.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Combined Sewer Overflow pipe is municipal infrastructure designed to act as a relief valve during storm events to prevent sewer overloads, which could lead to flooding of properties, public spaces or even the sewage treatment plants,\u201d the ministry wrote.<\/p>\n \u201cThese systems have been in place for many years across the city and operate independently from the Ontario Place redevelopment project.<\/p>\n \u201cAny sewage overflow is unrelated to the construction work at Ontario Place.\u201d<\/p>\n The minister\u2019s office added that work is underway that will actually improve water quality for swimmers and paddlers.<\/p>\n \u201cInterim work is underway towards realigning the combined sewer overflow system. When complete, the improved system will move discharge, in the event of overflows, further away from areas of public use.\u201d<\/p>\n Ontario Place for All, however, wants the Ford government to immediately halt CSO construction, restore public consultation, and cancel the deal with Therme at Ontario Place.<\/p>\n Controversy surrounds Ontario Place plan <\/p>\n Sewage concerns aren\u2019t the first stench associated with the province\u2019s ambitious, but often criticized plans for Ontario Place. <\/p>\n Last December Ontario\u2019s Auditor General (AG) released a scathing audit of the Ford government\u2019s redevelopment efforts<\/a>, uncovering that the province\u2019s costs have increased by $1.8 billion\u00a0since the call for action was issued in 2019<\/a>.<\/p>\n All told, Auditor General Shelley Spence\u2019s report also found that the Ontario Place redevelopment efforts could cost taxpayers $2.2 billion.<\/p>\n A City of Toronto report also found the redevelopment\u00a0would make traffic congestion worse.<\/a><\/p>\n