Supreme Court weighs the law behind the Ontario Place redevelopment

The Supreme Court of Canada heard the coalition Ontario Place Protectors on Thursday and reserved its decision; a ruling may not come until next year.

Ontario's plan for the site

• A spa run by a private company
• The relocated Ontario Science Centre
• New play and shoreline areas
• A parking facility
• A provincial police detachment

The province plans a privately run spa, a relocated Ontario Science Centre, new play and shoreline areas, a parking facility and a provincial police detachment on the waterfront site.

The coalition says the Rebuilding Ontario Place Act shields the government from the courts and violates the Constitution; the Crown says it does not make Ontario Place a lawless zone.

Background

An Ontario judge dismissed the challenge in 2024, and the Court of Appeal ruled against the coalition before the Supreme Court agreed in January to hear the case.