Zoo landlord nixes talk of park sale

The Toronto Zoo’s landlord is opposing the city’s invitation for “expressions of interest” from outsiders wanting to operate the money-losing animal park.

The board of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), which owns most of the land on which the zoo sits, has voted to tell the city it opposes seeking alternative managers, its chair, Uxbridge Mayor Gerri Lynn O’Connor, said Tuesday.

“This is our land, it’s the public’s land, and we have to make sure that whatever we’re doing is in the best interests of the public.”

The city, which subsidizes the zoo by $11 million a year, issued a formal invitation Monday for expressions of interest from alternative operators.

Mayor Rob Ford told reporters Tuesday that selling the zoo could be a good idea. “If we can make money like we did with Enwave, I’d love to see us sell the zoo,” he said.

But O’Connor said Toronto has signed an agreement on use of the land with the TRCA, which would have to approve any changes.

Councillor Gloria Lindsay Luby, who sits on both the zoo and TRCA boards, put forward the motion Friday.

“We don’t want an entertainment centre made out of our zoo, which is there for education and conservation,” she told the Star. She said Councillors Giorgio Mammoliti and Paul Ainslie are expected to table a motion Wednesday asking council to suspend the expressions of interest process.

Councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker, who also sits on both boards, said he successfully put forward a motion at a previous TRCA meeting that any change in zoo operators would require renegotiating the lease.

“If you’re going to turn over the Toronto Zoo to somebody like Disneyland or Marineland, who are going to try to make tens of millions of dollars . . . (the TRCA) is going to say to them, ‘You’re using 700 acres of our land. You’re going to have to pay market value.’ ” With files from David Rider