The controversial redevelopment of Ontario Place has been temporarily halted after the Ontario Place Protectors, a coalition of heritage, architectural, and cultural organizations, secured a legal hearing to challenge the Rebuilding Ontario Place Act on constitutional grounds. This act, they argue, exempts the provincial government from judicial oversight and breaches public trust by allowing sweeping powers to bypass environmental, heritage, and cultural protections. The Ontario Superior Court will hear the case on July 19. Meanwhile, the provincial government has agreed to suspend activities involving permanent destruction at the site, although other construction work may continue. The redevelopment plans include a spa and waterpark operated by Austria-based Therme, a revamped Budweiser Stage, and a new Ontario Science Centre. The Rebuilding Ontario Place Act is part of Bill 154, which expanded the infrastructure minister’s powers and exempted the project from the Environmental Assessment Act and parts of the Ontario Heritage Act. A previous legal challenge by Ontario Place for All was dismissed due to these exemptions. Eric Gillespie, the lawyer for Ontario Place Protectors, emphasized that the act undermines longstanding environmental and cultural laws, potentially setting a precedent for future projects. The group’s challenge also invokes the doctrine of public trust, asserting that the land belongs to all Ontarians and future generations, and should not be privatized. Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma declined to comment on the case’s outcome.

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