Toronto Ontario Place | ?m | ?s | Infrastructure ON

adma said:
And a lot of people would say that it's when the Molson Amphitheatre replaced the old Forum in the mid-90s that Ontario Place (or at least the physical integrity thereof) really started going to pot...
Click to expand...

And the departure of the Haida...
 
The closing, or should I say, redesign and downscaling of the Children's Village, was also a big change. They removed that huge kids play area and replaced it with a few rides. They also had a museum in one of those pods, which is gone now. I think Ontario North Now is also gone. Ontario Place has changed a lot and not for the better. The same can be said for The Canadian National Exhibition. Every year it gets watered down until eventually nobody cares anymore, and the government can turn it into just another commercial area.
 
Towered said:
And the departure of the Haida...
Click to expand...
Indeed, the "rescue" of the Haida was a very sad statement about not just OP but Toronto itself. Here we are, situated on a huge body of water served by ocean going vessels, but Torontians have little or no emotional connection to the water or Canada's history on the sea.

In Hamilton, Haida's restoration and arrival was greatly celebrated, and the ship is in much better hands today.
 
I'm sure there are plenty of successful businesses in the area. But living as I do a short walk from the Exhibition grounds, I find the area overall is an embarrassment and a waste of space. It doesn't integrate into the city and doesn't make a good park.

I agree it should remain entertainment and tourism focused, but that's no reason to isolate it from the city. Look at any European city (Paris, Rome, London) to see how entertainment is integrated with day to day city life in a way that benefits both.

There should be better pedestrian connections to liberty village and parkdale, parkades so that some of the existing parking lot can be give more appropriate uses (this could include green space, retail or mixed retail and residential), and a more condensed area for the exhibition.



Automation Gallery said:
There is no way i would like to see and support any condos or retail in the CNE we have many other areas for that,we must keep it as an entertainment centre.At the moment Exibition Place is the home to The Chin Picnic,Caribana,The Toronto Molson Indy,The Air Show.The CNE and Midway,The Royal Winter Fair,The National Home Show,The Toronto International Boat Show,The Toronto Sportsman's Show,and an additional 100 special events trade and consumer shows annually.All these attractions would be affected if a residential neighbourhood moved into this space.
Click to expand...
 
In addition to the Haida, I'd like to see Toronto's other historic vessel the Ned Hanlan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ned_Hanlan_(tugboat) removed from the city, restored and put on display elsewhere. Perhaps, only perhaps she could go down in Harbourfront, but really, a city that knows its connection to the lake, such as Kingston or Hamilton would be better.
 
It's strange, given the importance Torontonians give to transportation issues, that transportation-themed museums are doing so poorly. The Haida is gone. The Ned Hanlan and the Toronto Marine Museum which it used to be a part of has faded into history. Few people except aircraft enthusiasts have ever heard of the Toronto Aerospace Museum. Outside of Doors Open, not many people know of the train collection in the John Street Roundhouse.
 
Canadian Music Hall of fame?

I think the site could be a natural. I'd like to see it in the city somewere and there is lots of opportunity for concert venues between Ontario place and the Ex.
 
Towered said:
Why on earth is a streetcar museum in Milton, of all places?
Click to expand...
It's not officially a streetcar museum, but is in fact a radial railway museum. The terminal radial refered to electric powered rail. It's in Milton as this is the last remaining part of the original electric rail track that ran from east to west across what is now the GTA.
 
wyliepoon said:
It's strange, given the importance Torontonians give to transportation issues, that transportation-themed museums are doing so poorly. The Haida is gone. The Ned Hanlan and the Toronto Marine Museum which it used to be a part of has faded into history. Few people except aircraft enthusiasts have ever heard of the Toronto Aerospace Museum. Outside of Doors Open, not many people know of the train collection in the John Street Roundhouse.
Click to expand...

The roundhouse museum is opening in late 2009. So it might get promoted later.
http://www.heritagetoronto.org/news/blog/derek-boles/evolution-roundhouse-park

The Toronto Railway Heritage Centre at Roundhouse Park is scheduled to open later in 2009. The museum is located in the old John Street Roundhouse, built by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1929 to service the CPR passenger trains using the new Union Station. The CPR abandoned the Roundhouse in 1988 and turned it over to the City of Toronto. For over twenty years, there were various schemes to build a museum but only in the last year or so have these plans come to fruition in time for the 80th anniversary of the Roundhouse.
 
Torontovibe said:
The closing, or should I say, redesign and downscaling of the Children's Village, was also a big change.
Click to expand...

I agree...the structure is still there, but it's empty and rotting away (you can still see the concrete supports for the old zip lines and rope bridges). They went and replaced a creative and open-ended play experience with carnival rides...bizarre, foolish move. It's damn depressing to see that tent sitting empty (or worse, full of trash) when it used to have so much to offer...sigh...
 
You must log in or register to post here.

Back
Top