Ontario Place, oncethe most fun amusement park in Toronto, has for many years been a mere shadow of its former self, itsderelict structuresand defunct ridesand waterslidesserving as relics of its '70s-'90s heydey.

Ever since it was shutteredin 2012, there have been numerous suggestions put forth for the 155 acre attraction, as well as wide speculation about its future, which has for years been up in the air as most parts of the prime island space go to waste.

Sure, there is still theCinesphere, the performance venues Echo Beach andBudweiser Stage,drive-in movie nights,rentable fire pitsand the beautiful (relatively) newTrillium Park and William G. Davis Trail, but the summer fun and festivities that the park was once known for are long gone.

This makes me sick. Ford is going to ruin Ontario Place and there appears to be nothing anyone can do about it. Why, oh why, can't we just go back to the original concept, including free Forum concerts? Make Ontario Place Great Again.

— Kelly MacGregor (@JKM708)July 22, 2021

There was at one point the potentialfor a casino,a massive ferris wheel, a commercial complex,a sprawling indoor-outdoor waterpark, a museum,condos, public gardens and green space, and more, as well as a decision that some of the property's existing assets would be protected, perhaps underheritage designation.

But allmajor plansseemed tofall flatorto stallin the early stages, all without public consultation to boot, rendering much of the space underused for nearly a decade.

But now, new details have finally been leaked about the companies that have put in their bids — and apparently been selected — to comprehensively revitalize the park, responding to a 2019 call from the province to make the space "a world-class year-round destination."

“There’s no public consultation,” said@SuzanneKavanagh, a founder of the grassroots group Ontario Place for All.
Ms. Kavanagh and other local activists say they want more of Ontario Place turned into parkland and kept open to the public.@slnaspeaks@Waterfront4Allhttps://t.co/YPsC0GxYW3

— Pink Helmet TO (@PinkHelmetTO)July 22, 2021

According to Globe and Mail sourceswho claim to have "direct knowledge of the bid process," three private firms will helm the Ontario Place revamp: Quebec outdoor recreation equipment companyÉcoRécréo Group, Austria-based "wellbeing resort" developerTherme Group, andLive Nation, which already operates the on-site music venues.

Though the particulars of the plans are still unreleased (as is the above information, formally, as of yet), it is easy to guess which components might be present in the new iteration of the park based on the specialties of the companies involved.

安大略省政府plans to give Quebec’s Écorécréo the reins for part of the 63-hectare site on Toronto’s waterfront, along with Austrian company Therme, the sources said. Live Nation, which runs the performance venue at Ontario Place, will have an expanded role.

— Todd Kaighin (@ToddKaighin)July 22, 2021

As manyhave continued to note with concern, Toronto residents and the City itself have not only had no say in the future of the tenured attraction, but also virtually no knowledge of the alternatives that developers are proposing behind closed doors.