Not the time for a Ford whim

At risk of stating the obvious, there is only one Ontario Place. It is a 51-hectare, publicly owned potential jewel on Toronto’s waterfront.

That’s why it’s so important that Ontario’s Progressive Conservative government doesn’t muck it up as it moves forward on the much-needed redevelopment of the site. And the biggest cause for concern on that front is the premier himself.

Doug Ford has already demonstrated that he’s keen to operate according to his own whims, rather than based on public consultation with Torontonians and the real needs of the city.

We are, after all, talking about a premier who didn’t once alert voters that he planned to cut Toronto city council in half while he was running for office, and then imperiously did so in the middle of a municipal election campaign.

Now Ford is said to be casting his eye south of his office at the legislature and taking a personal interest in Ontario Place. What could go wrong? Plenty. As a city councillor, Ford wanted to overturn Waterfront Toronto’s careful planning for the gradual introduction of condos, offices, retail and parks to the Port Lands in favour of flashy gimmicks including the world’s biggest Ferris wheel, a megamall and gambling complex.

As the Star revealed at the time, Ford had crafted his vision after discussions with an Australian mall developer whom he said he expected to be among the international bidders in a contest to decide which company would lead the renewal of the former industrial lands.

And Ford again appeared ready to take his direction from developers, rather than the public, during the provincial election. He privately assured developers that he was happy to “open a big chunk” of the Greenbelt to build new single family homes on.

He was willing to snap his fingers and jettison the years of planning and effort that went into creating the 800,000 hectares of protected lands without any public consultation. The public backlash made him reverse course, on that idea at least.

All this creates cause for concern when insiders say Ford is talking casinos again, and Finance Minister Vic Fedeli says the government won’t “close the door” on the possibility of a casino at Ontario Place.

A waterfront casino is a terrible idea. That’s why the public and city council slammed that door shut when Ford and his brother, then-mayor Rob Ford, raised it in 2013.

And the idea has only gotten worse since then, given that Woodbine Racetrack is already being revamped to include a full-fledged casino and entertainment-hotel complex in north Etobicoke.

Ontario Place needs an overhaul and Ford’s desire to make it “the most spectacular destination anywhere in North America to visit,” as he promised this summer at the opening of the Canadian National Exhibition, is a laudable goal.

But the future of Ontario Place must be subject to the kind of serious discussion, debate and planning that is needed for any major redevelopment, never mind one on such important, waterfront lands.

As a councillor, Ford’s dreams of a waterfront casino were dashed by public opposition. Now that he has a second chance — and far more power — we hope the redevelopment of Ontario Place doesn’t follow the same troubling path as cutting the size of Toronto’s city council did.