Ontario Place (theme park)

Ontario Place was an entertainment and exhibition complex located in Toronto, Ontario that operated annually during the summer months from 1971 until 2011. Owned by the Government of Ontario, it is located on the shore of Lake Ontario, just south of Exhibition Place, and south-west of downtown Toronto. Three artificially constructed, landscaped islands were built to house the facility as well as several 'Pod' buildings suspended over the water and the Cinesphere geodesic dome IMAX theatre, the first permanent IMAX theatre. One of the islands was dedicated to an open-air concert space, while the other two were used for amusements, restaurants, parkland and exhibits. Three old lake freighters were sunk to provide a breakwater for a public marina between the main islands.Designed originally to promote the Province of Ontario through exhibits and entertainment, its focus changed over time to be that of a theme park for families with a water park, a children's play area, and amusement rides. Exhibits in the pods were discontinued and the building became a venue for private events. The concert stage was turned over to a private concert operator and rebuilt as the Amphitheatre. After a long period of declining attendance, the Government of Ontario closed the facility except for its music venue and marina. It plans to re-open the facility after redevelopment into a year-round multiple-use facility.HistoryBackgroundBuilt in 1926 the CNE Ontario Government Building displayed exhibits about Ontario at the annual Canadian National Exhibition (CNE). After the success of Expo 67 in Montreal, the Government of Ontario decided to replace the facility with a new state-of-the-art showcase.