2 Comments February 1, 2012 at 12:30 pm

culture

Remembering Ontario Place’s Origins

The landmark's evolution from a showcase of the province's achievements to a family amusement park.

By Jamie Bradburn

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127205 Cinesphere, sometime between 1972 and 1989. Picture by Ellis Wiley. City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 124, File 9, Item 29. 20120201cinesphere https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201cinesphere-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201cinesphere.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201cinesphere.jpg 640 417 [] https://torontoist.com/2012/02/its-all-yours-at-ontario-place/slide/20120201cinesphere/ 20120201cinesphere 0 0

127207 Conceived as a new Ontario government pavilion at the Canadian National Exhibition that would carry on the spirit of the province’s exhibits at Expo 67, the project that evolved into Ontario Place was announced by Premier John Robarts during the 1968 edition of the fair. Robarts promised that the new landmark would “utilize the natural setting of the waterfront using modern structural designs.” Ontario Premier John Robarts, riding the Bloor-Danforth Subway May 10, 1968. City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1567, Series 648, File 244, Item 42. 20120201robarts https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201robarts-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201robarts.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201robarts.jpg 640 645 [] https://torontoist.com/2012/02/its-all-yours-at-ontario-place/slide/20120201robarts/ 20120201robarts 0 0

127209 The first model of Ontario Showcase, as the park was originally called, was unveiled by Robarts and Minister of Trade and Development Stanley Randall during a March 10, 1969 press conference. The plan developed by the architectural firm of Craig, Zeidler, and Strong called for a five-pod pavilion with exhibits tracing the history of Ontario, two man-made islands, restaurants, parkland, a public marina, and a giant theatre encased in an Expo-style geodesic (later described as “triodetic”) dome. As Robarts noted, “if you allowed your imagination to really run wild, you could perhaps see Showcase as a forerunner of the ‘city of tomorrow.’” Source: the Toronto Star, March 11, 1969. 20120201ontarioshowcase https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201ontarioshowcase-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201ontarioshowcase.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201ontarioshowcase.jpg 640 514 [] https://torontoist.com/2012/02/its-all-yours-at-ontario-place/slide/20120201ontarioshowcase/ 20120201ontarioshowcase 0 0

127211 A tight two-year construction schedule was set, with completion due for May 24, 1971. Eyebrows were raised in some quarters, as the governing Progressive Conservatives had to hold an election that year, and could point to a completed Ontario Place as a major accomplishment. Construction faced an immediate setback when Metropolitan Toronto attempted to claim title over the bottom of Lake Ontario, but the regional body and the province quickly came to an agreement when Queen’s Park officials pointed out how petty local politicians would look if they let a turf war scuttle the project. The first phase of construction saw three derelict sea freighters—the Howard L. Shaw, Douglas Houghton, and Victorious—filled with sand and sunk in the harbour to form a seawall. Fill from recent expansions of Commerce Court and the subway were used to build the islands making up the park. Construction of Ontario Place, between 1969 and 1971. City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 1465, File 332, Item 6. 20120201podconstruction https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201podconstruction-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201podconstruction.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201podconstruction.jpg 640 433 [] https://torontoist.com/2012/02/its-all-yours-at-ontario-place/slide/20120201podconstruction/ 20120201podconstruction 0 0

127212 With seating for 800 moviegoers, the <a href="http://torontoist.com/2010/07/historicist_opening_the_cinesphere/">Cinesphere</a> was designed to wow. Architect Eberhard Zeidler promised that audiences viewing the six-storey-high screen would feel like they were floating in space (“Isn’t that an idea to play around with?”). The theatre was home to the first permanently installed IMAX projector in the world. The first films shown in the Cinesphere were North of Superior and Seasons of the Mind. Construction of the Cinesphere, between 1969 and 1971. City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 1465, File 332, Item 8. 20120201cinesphereconstuction https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201cinesphereconstuction-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201cinesphereconstuction.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201cinesphereconstuction.jpg 640 432 [] https://torontoist.com/2012/02/its-all-yours-at-ontario-place/slide/20120201cinesphereconstuction/ 20120201cinesphereconstuction 0 0

127214 Provincial bureaucrats believed the educational exhibits in the five steel pods rising above the water would be the centrepiece of Ontario Place. Designed to promote the cultural and economic accomplishments of Ontarians throughout its history, most critics found the mixture of artefacts, slide projections on white balloon-like cylindrical bags, films, and backlit panels thin on content and hard to view. Over the years, educational content fell by the wayside. Photo by Ellis Wiley. City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 124, File 9, Item 15. 20120201pods https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201pods-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201pods.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201pods.jpg 640 946 [] https://torontoist.com/2012/02/its-all-yours-at-ontario-place/slide/20120201pods/ 20120201pods 0 0

127213 Ontario Place opened two days ahead of the original deadline. Attendance was lower than anticipated when the gates were unlocked on May 22, 1971, possibly due to patrons fearing crowds. Only 300 people waited that morning for the park to open, which caused provincial officials to delay attendance questions for as long as possible. While reviews of the debut attractions were mixed, the Cinesphere was an undisputed success, with line-ups up to 90 minutes long. Ontario Place under construction, 1970. Ontario Place: A Government of Ontario Project (Toronto: Ontario Department of Trade and Development, 1970). 20120201constructionview https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201constructionview-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201constructionview.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201constructionview.jpg 640 447 [] https://torontoist.com/2012/02/its-all-yours-at-ontario-place/slide/20120201constructionview/ 20120201constructionview 0 0

127215 Though predicted crowds didn’t materialize on opening weekend, enough visitors dropped by to strain the serving capacity of the park’s food stands and restaurants. More than 20,000 steins of beer were poured at Kelly’s Keg ’N Jester. Snack bars couldn’t keep up with the demand for French fries. The six companies that operated the park’s food outlets paid a fixed percentage of their gross receipts to the province in lieu of basic rent. At the souvenir stands, items ranged from 50-cent provincial crest ashtrays to $500 muskrat jackets. Photo by Ellis Wiley. City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 124, File 9, Item 18. 20120201kegnjester https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201kegnjester-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201kegnjester.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201kegnjester.jpg 640 433 [] https://torontoist.com/2012/02/its-all-yours-at-ontario-place/slide/20120201kegnjester/ 20120201kegnjester 0 0

127217 Among the popular elements during year one was the Forum, an outdoor amphitheatre. One of the draws was a series of concerts by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Long a popular venue for rock and jazz shows, the Forum was demolished in the mid-1990s and replaced by the Molson Amphitheatre. Karel Ancerl and the Toronto Symphony at the Ontario Place Forum, 1971. City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 329, Series 1569, File 2050. 20120201tso https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201tso1-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201tso1.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201tso1.jpg 640 441 [] https://torontoist.com/2012/02/its-all-yours-at-ontario-place/slide/20120201tso-2/ 20120201tso-2 0 0

127218 Map showing original Ontario Place layout. The Telegram, May 21, 1971. 20120201map https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201map-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201map.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201map.jpg 640 424 [] https://torontoist.com/2012/02/its-all-yours-at-ontario-place/slide/20120201map/ 20120201map 0 0

127219 When Ontario Place’s first season drew to a close in October 1971, the Globe and Mail asked staff and visitors for their thoughts on the park. One senior citizen who gave her name as “Miss Kelly” thought it was a wonderful place for watching the 2.3 million visitors who came that year. From a bench by the marina, “you even see English boys walking by with French girls and French boys with English girls,” she noted. “We need mixing up, and this is the spot where you can mix.” She felt any efforts to jazz it up should be resisted: “Some people like living in a midway; some don’t.” But midway attractions appealed to teenager Karin Schwartz, who felt the park needed “rides and amusement things.” In the long run, Ms. Schwartz’s view gained traction among park brass. Photo by Ellis Wiley. City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 124, File 9, Item 12. 20120201entrance https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201entrance-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201entrance.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201entrance.jpg 640 433 [] https://torontoist.com/2012/02/its-all-yours-at-ontario-place/slide/20120201entrance/ 20120201entrance 0 0

127220 The news heading into Ontario Place’s second season was discouraging: a $2.2 million loss. As a result, admissions were raised by 50 per cent (from $1 to $1.50 for adults, from 50 cents to 75 cents for students) and new facilities were planned. One bright spot that helped turn the park around: the opening of the Children’s Village playground on the East Island. Description of Children’s Village from Toronto Guidebook (Toronto: Key Publishers, 1974): "Two acres of wonderfully imaginative fun and games, under a spiky, orange-vinyl canopy on the East Island, where kids from 4 to 14 can wade through the Foam Swamp, punch their way through the punching-bag forest, climb rope ladders to a tree house, and dunk each other in 15 or more different water games. After that, they step into a giant kid-dryer, shaped like a bird. About 5,000 children a day visit the playground, and all of them want to come back the next day." Photo by Ellis Wiley. City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 124, File 9, Item 45. 20120201childrenvillage https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201childrenvillage-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201childrenvillage.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201childrenvillage.jpg 640 431 [] https://torontoist.com/2012/02/its-all-yours-at-ontario-place/slide/20120201childrenvillage/ 20120201childrenvillage 0 0

127221 Description of Ontario Place from Toronto Guidebook (Toronto: Key Publishers, 1974): "If it looks like a scaled-down version of Expo 67, it may be because many of the same brilliant designers worked on both. Like Expo, Ontario Place is built in, and over, the water on about 96 acres of land on three man-made islands. Like Expo, it’s an attempt to glorify Ontario’s past, present and future by building a park-like amusement centre around a series of indoor films, displays and exhibitions. It’s great fun: a far better experience, really, than the overcrowded tackiness of the Canadian National Exhibition. It contains 10 restaurants, three licensed lounges, nine snack bars, a film theatre with the world’s largest indoor curved movie screen, the world’s best kids’ playground (that’s not just our opinion; it’s also the opinion of the tens of thousands of kids who have visited it), a floating museum that used to be a World War II destroyer, acres of rolling parkland, an outdoor concert hall, a marina and a pavilion consisting of five steel-and-glass “pods” 40 feet above the water, which contain the reception area and some of the restaurants." Photo by Ellis Wiley. City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 124, File 9, Item 54. 20120201paddleboat https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201paddleboat-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201paddleboat.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201paddleboat.jpg 640 431 [] https://torontoist.com/2012/02/its-all-yours-at-ontario-place/slide/20120201paddleboat/ 20120201paddleboat 0 0

127222 As the 1970s wore on, amusements like a giant water slide were added to the park. Advertisement, the Globe and Mail, August 11, 1978. 20120201waterslide https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201waterslide-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201waterslide.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201waterslide.jpg 640 930 [] https://torontoist.com/2012/02/its-all-yours-at-ontario-place/slide/20120201waterslide/ 20120201waterslide 0 0

127223 Lining up for the water slide. Photo by Ellis Wiley. City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 124, File 9, Item 81. 20120201waterslideline https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201waterslideline-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201waterslideline.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201waterslideline.jpg 640 431 [] https://torontoist.com/2012/02/its-all-yours-at-ontario-place/slide/20120201waterslideline/ 20120201waterslideline 0 0

127226 Despite the failure of the original exhibits in the pods, officials didn’t give up on showcasing Ontario. In 1980, silos were built on the West Island to house displays and programming related to the north end of the province. Programmers of Ontario North hoped that the exhibit would, as Iroquois Falls Mayor Aurele Gervais told the Star in January 1980, “open southern eyes to the character and indigenous beauty of the north—to reveal the variety of its attractions and the natural resourcefulness of its people.” Gervais hoped that the content might persuade more professionals to relocate to the north. The silos were later converted to amusement facilities. Photo by Ellis Wiley. City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 124, File 9, Item 118. 20120201silos https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201silos-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201silos.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201silos.jpg 640 444 [] https://torontoist.com/2012/02/its-all-yours-at-ontario-place/slide/20120201silos/ 20120201silos 0 0

127228 From 1970 until 2002, the World War II destroyer <a href="http://hmcshaida.ca/hhistory.html">HMCS Haida</a> was among Ontario Place's attractions. The ship current resides in Hamilton. Photo by Ellis Wiley. City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 124, File 9, Item 73. 20120201haida https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201haida-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201haida.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201haida.jpg 640 433 [] https://torontoist.com/2012/02/its-all-yours-at-ontario-place/slide/20120201haida/ 20120201haida 0 0

127231 Advertisement, the Toronto Star, May 15, 1980. 20120201openingad1980 https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201openingad1980-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201openingad1980.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201openingad1980.jpg 640 1939 [] https://torontoist.com/2012/02/its-all-yours-at-ontario-place/slide/20120201openingad1980/ 20120201openingad1980 0 0

127232 Attractions during the mid-1980s included Future Pod, which showcased recent advances in technology. Among the exhibits: IBM PCs, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telidon">Telidon information services</a>, a working model of a CANDU reactor, and 3D holograms designed at the Ontario College of Art. When Future Pod opened in July 1982, the Globe and Mail noted that “one of the exhibits is an intricate, complex joke designed at the Ontario Science Centre that whirs and clicks, and calls itself the Forget-Me-Not Computer.” Future Pod was replaced in 1986 by the <a href="http://baseballhalloffame.ca/">Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame</a>, which spent several years at Ontario Place before settling into its permanent home in St. Mary’s. Advertisement, the Globe and Mail, June 1, 1984. 20120201futurepod https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201futurepod-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201futurepod.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201futurepod.jpg 450 1327 [] https://torontoist.com/2012/02/its-all-yours-at-ontario-place/slide/20120201futurepod/ 20120201futurepod 0 0

127234 Depending on the day, kids could visit with television stars like <a href="http://oopsytheclown.blogspot.com/">Oopsy the Clown</a>. St. Thomas, Ontario native Bob McNea acted on a variety of television shows in Detroit before donning Bozo the Clown’s garish garb for WWJ-TV (now WDIV) in 1959. When the station declined to renew its license for Bozo in 1967, McNea created a new character and remained on the air as Oopsy Daisy. In 1979, McNea and Oopsy moved to Kitchener CTV affiliate <a href="http://ckco-history.com/">CKCO</a>, where he presided over amateur acts galore on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KIyWfBdbkU&feature=related">Big Top Talent</a> until 1995. Photo by Ellis Wiley. City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 124, File 9, Item 37. 20120201oopsy https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201oopsy-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201oopsy.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201oopsy.jpg 640 433 [] https://torontoist.com/2012/02/its-all-yours-at-ontario-place/slide/20120201oopsy/ 20120201oopsy 0 0

127235 Description of Ontario Place from a mid-1980s edition of the Ontario Traveller's Encyclopaedia: "This is a definite must-see for anyone! Built on, and over, the waters of Lake Ontario, on three man-made islands, it boasts a wide array of exciting attractions including the HMCS Haida, a World War II destroyer; a large marina; Cinesphere, an astounding six-storey movie theatre; the Forum, a star-studded outdoor amphitheatre; the Children’s Village, every child’s dream of a playground; bumper boats; a waterslide; Future Pod, an exciting showcase of the latest in high technology developments; and a pavilion of steel and glass pods which tower above the water. Remember to visit Ontario North Now, Northern Ontario’s theme pavilion. Restaurants, lounges and snack bars abound, so you can stay all day. It’s a cold weather wonder too, so come and enjoy the winter activities at Ontario Place. Winter Magic (Santa, children’s movies and indoor rides) and the 70MM Film Festival, screenings of recently released motion pictures in Cinesphere." Bumper boats, 1980s. City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 1465, File 150, Item 4. 20120201bumperboats https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201bumperboats-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201bumperboats.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120201bumperboats.jpg 640 428 [] https://torontoist.com/2012/02/its-all-yours-at-ontario-place/slide/20120201bumperboats/ 20120201bumperboats 0 0

Born out of what could be called “Expo 67 envy,” Ontario Place was originally designed to be a park where the cultural and economic accomplishments of the province could be celebrated, with a side order of entertaining diversions. While the early exhibits flopped, Ontario Place became a spot where children played, teens saw their favourite acts at the Forum, adults enjoyed a drink, and everyone caught a film at the Cinesphere or watched the crowds drift by. Though its early programming was geared to all ages, the park has evolved into a haven for younger visitors, which some have pointed to as a reason for declining attendance.

Today, we found out that Ontario Place is largely shutting down, effective immediately, in anticipation of a planned redevelopment of the site. As Ontario Place prepares for its latest makeover, a look back at its first two decades.

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