OPP detachment planned for Ontario Place
· Toronto Sun
The revitalization of Ontario Place will include a new home for the long arm of the law.
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The province’s solicitor general announced Friday that an Ontario Provincial Police detachment will be built on Ontario Place’s east island. The new cop shop will support the policing of Ontario Place as well as patrols on the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway.
While those urban highways are city property, they are being uploaded to provincial jurisdiction under Ontario’s so-called new deal with Toronto City Hall. Ontario Place itself is on provincial land.
The province is issuing requests for proposals for the detachment, which will be part of a complex that will replace an old administration building, the Ministry of the Solicitor General said in a press release on Friday.
The detachment will feature a helicopter pad and support marine and mounted units, the statement said. That mounted unit, which would patrol Ontario Place, would be a first for the OPP.
The statement did not hint at a timeline for when work on the detachment might begin or end.
Detachment responsible for ‘non-traffic related criminal matters’
“Protecting Ontario starts with keeping people safe where they live, work and play, and that’s exactly what this investment delivers,” Solicitor General Michael Kerzner said in the statement.
“This new OPP detachment will be well-positioned to patrol our highways, maintain a strong on-site policing presence and ensure the safety of families and all those visiting Ontario Place.”
In a brief statement, Chief Myron Demkiw confirmed Toronto Police will “maintain responsibility for non-traffic related criminal matters” on the Gardiner and DVP when the province officially takes over, and OPP traffic patrols begin.
The province expects the reimagined Ontario Place will attract 6 million visitors a year. In the province’s statement, Stan Cho, the minister of tourism and MPP for Willowdale, said the detachment will ensure Ontario Place “has the strong and reliable police presence it needs year-round.”
Premier Doug Ford has promised the long-neglected space will one day be “ a jewel .” One day, it’s slated to host the relocated Ontario Science Centre, the massive Therme wellness attraction, a refreshed amphitheatre, public beaches, parkland and more.
Work is also underway to better connect Ontario Place with the rest of the city. The Ontario line is expected to plug the waterfront attraction into Toronto’s subway system by the early 2030s . Meanwhile, the province and city hall, in partnership with the federal government, recently committed to funding an LRT line that will link central Toronto’s waterfront, from Ontario Place all the way east to the Don River.