A Desperate Chance to Bring Back Some of Ontario Place's Old Rides and Attractions
The Issue
To the Premier of Ontario, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming, the Mayor of Toronto, and the Board of Directors of Ontario Place,
We, the undersigned residents of Ontario, community members, and families from across the country, are writing to you to formally launch a passionate community appeal for the preservation, restoration, and return of the historic family rides and attractions that once defined Ontario Place as a premier cultural hub and cherished public space. Ontario Place was originally envisioned as an inclusive waterfront park celebrating the identity, innovation, and community spirit of our province. For decades, it served as a foundational backdrop for childhood memories, family bonding, and accessible recreation right in the heart of Toronto. Today, as the future of Ontario Place is reimagined and developed, we believe it is vital that the reimagined waterfront does not lose its soul. We strongly advocate for the reintroduction of the classic, family friendly, and thrill seeking attractions that made the park a magical destination for generations.
The true legacy of Ontario Place was its unique ability to cater to people of all ages, starting with the very youngest members of our community. We remember with deep fondness the dedicated spaces designed specifically for pre-schoolers and young children, which provided safe, imaginative, and active play. Among these, the Microkids facility, presented by Microkids, was a masterpiece of early childhood recreation. It offered a safe and vibrant variety of play activities under a single roof, allowing toddlers and young children to explore foam animals, race down a wave slide, and navigate climbing platforms. Integrated within this space was the Mega Creativity Centre, where children could build, create, learn, and play, fostering early innovation and artistic expression.
We petition for the return of dedicated spaces like the Power Wheels Track, which gave children between thirty-six and fifty-two inches tall the ultimate action packed experience of driving battery powered replica luxury vehicles like the Escalade and the Jeep Hurricane. This attraction offered children their very first taste of independence and excitement in a highly controlled environment. Similarly, the Mini Bumper Boats in Market Square provided a delightfully cute experience where little ones between thirty-six and forty-eight inches tall could enjoy the same bumping fun as the older kids.
Perhaps one of the most educational and beloved attractions for children was the O.P. Driving School. As Canada's only dedicated driving school for kids, it combined education with entertainment. Guests between forty and sixty inches tall were thoroughly briefed on the rules of the road before taking to the streets in electric cars. They navigated a highly realistic course featuring real road signs and signals, learning how to steer, accelerate, brake, and respect traffic safety. These spaces were more than just rides; they were interactive learning environments that brought families together, and our current urban landscape deeply lacks this kind of accessible outdoor engagement for young children.
Beyond the attractions for tiny tots, Ontario Place was famous for its universally appealing experiences that brought everyone together, regardless of age. We call for the return of massive active play structures like the H2O Generation Station, which stood proudly as the largest outdoor soft play climbing structure in the entire country. This maze of activity centers gave children boundless opportunities to tumble, slide, crawl, and climb through twisting slides, covered walkways, tunnels, towers, obstacle courses, hurdle challenges, and funhouse mirrors.
We also remember the unmatched excitement of The Atom Blaster, a foam-ball free-for-all factory that was the only one of its kind in Canada. This attraction kept children and youth busy all day long with an unlimited supply of soft, multi-colored foam balls fueling interactive ball cannons, volcanoes, huge tipping baskets, ball fountains, blowers, air tables, and spiral slides.
Families could also take to the sky on First Flight, boarding a beautiful replica hot-air balloon for a smooth, scenic ride through the summer air, accessible to guests of all ages when accompanied by an adult. For those seeking a bit more gravity-defying excitement, the Free Fall drop tower ride offered a thrilling drop that excited kids forty-two inches or taller, alongside their parents. The iconic Super Slide, located on the hill beside the Festival Stage, allowed guests to climb to the top of a massive tower, take in a stunning three-hundred and sixty degree view of the Toronto waterfront, and then race ninety feet down to the bottom.
Recreation at Ontario Place was also about connecting with the beautiful geography of the Toronto islands and lagoons. The Pedal Boat Adventure on Adventure Island offered a relaxing, leisurely glide across the water, providing a unique vantage point of the park grounds. Adventure Island was also home to Mini Greens, featuring two challenging nine-hole miniature golf courses beautifully built directly into the landscaped hillside.
For those who loved games of skill, Cool Hoops on Adventure Island offered an innovative twist to the game of basketball by rolling the strategies of basketball, miniature golf, and billiards into one big challenge that grew progressively harder at each bankboard. Furthermore, the park was a pioneer in technology with its futuristic Arcade, themed specifically to look like the flight deck of a large spacecraft. This arcade featured leading-edge virtual reality systems, thirty-two bit digital sound, and compelling three-hundred and sixty degree gameplay that included advanced driving simulators, Alpine Ski simulators, Wave Jet, and Sega Rally. Bringing back these diverse family attractions would ensure that Ontario Place remains an active, vibrant destination through the spring and summer months.
For the true thrill seekers, Ontario Place offered iconic adventures that became legends in the Canadian amusement park industry. We loudly petition for the return of a world-class water log flume experience modeled after the Wilderness Adventure Ride. Located on Adventure Island, this was the world's largest fully animated flume ride, taking riders forty-two inches or taller through highly detailed, scenic forests and canyons that celebrated the natural beauty of Northern Ontario. It combined the thrill of a classic log flume with regional cultural storytelling.
In addition, the full-sized Bumper Boats in the Marina Village allowed older youth and adults over forty-eight inches tall to set their own pace for either leisurely water fun or frenzied bumping action. The indoor and outdoor multi-level labyrinth known as the O.P. Maze or MegaMaze on Adventure Island challenged the senses of participants with seven different mazes filled with optical illusions, lasers, and sound effects as they searched for a way out.
We also miss the educational thrill of the F/X Adventure Theatre. This thirty-seat motion simulator took guests on a sensory journey through the environment, showing the planet through the eyes of creatures like frogs, dolphins, leopards, owls, and bears. It allowed participants to feel the bees buzz past their necks as they rode down a simulated river, teaching an invaluable lesson about ecological conservation and sharing the planet.
Finally, no summer in Toronto was complete without a visit to Soak City, Ontario Place's coolest venue and the only downtown water park in Toronto. We ask that any modern development of the site honors the legacy of this accessible urban water oasis. Soak City accommodated thousands of residents looking to cool off on hot summer days with heated water and incredible attractions. The Rush River Raft Ride was a true engineering marvel and the only one of its kind in Canada, offering eight hundred and seventy-three feet of twisting turns and seven thousand gallons of rushing water for families to experience together on a giant raft.
The water park also featured the Pink Twister and the Purple Pipeline, which delivered an additional one thousand feet of waterslide action. These slides combined sensational speed, tumultuous turns, daring drops, and the eerie darkness of enclosed flumes that sent inner tubes plunging into a refreshing splash pool. The ultimate test of bravery was the Hydrofuge, where riders shot down a tube on a thin sheet of water at speeds of up to fifty kilometers per hour, swirled around a gigantic bowl, and plunged into a deep landing pool. For the youngest visitors, the interactive Waterplay area offered a safe, wet, and wild space for unbelievable silliness.
Ontario Place was designed for the people of Ontario. It was a space where wealth, status, and background did not matter, because the accessible layout and ticketing options like the Play All Day Pass made these incredible rides and attractions available to everyone. In our current climate, there is a severe shortage of affordable, family centric outdoor entertainment spaces within Toronto's downtown core. Replacing these historic, high-engagement recreation zones with exclusive or non-interactive spaces strips away the very identity of the waterfront.
We, the undersigned, urge our leaders and developers to listen to the community. We demand that any development plans for Ontario Place explicitly include the return, modernization, or faithful reimagining of these beloved rides and attractions. Let us bring back the sound of children laughing at the O.P. Driving School, the splash of the Wilderness Adventure Ride, the family races down the Super Slide, and the refreshing community joy of Soak City. Restore Ontario Place as a park for everyone.
1
The Issue
To the Premier of Ontario, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming, the Mayor of Toronto, and the Board of Directors of Ontario Place,
We, the undersigned residents of Ontario, community members, and families from across the country, are writing to you to formally launch a passionate community appeal for the preservation, restoration, and return of the historic family rides and attractions that once defined Ontario Place as a premier cultural hub and cherished public space. Ontario Place was originally envisioned as an inclusive waterfront park celebrating the identity, innovation, and community spirit of our province. For decades, it served as a foundational backdrop for childhood memories, family bonding, and accessible recreation right in the heart of Toronto. Today, as the future of Ontario Place is reimagined and developed, we believe it is vital that the reimagined waterfront does not lose its soul. We strongly advocate for the reintroduction of the classic, family friendly, and thrill seeking attractions that made the park a magical destination for generations.
The true legacy of Ontario Place was its unique ability to cater to people of all ages, starting with the very youngest members of our community. We remember with deep fondness the dedicated spaces designed specifically for pre-schoolers and young children, which provided safe, imaginative, and active play. Among these, the Microkids facility, presented by Microkids, was a masterpiece of early childhood recreation. It offered a safe and vibrant variety of play activities under a single roof, allowing toddlers and young children to explore foam animals, race down a wave slide, and navigate climbing platforms. Integrated within this space was the Mega Creativity Centre, where children could build, create, learn, and play, fostering early innovation and artistic expression.
We petition for the return of dedicated spaces like the Power Wheels Track, which gave children between thirty-six and fifty-two inches tall the ultimate action packed experience of driving battery powered replica luxury vehicles like the Escalade and the Jeep Hurricane. This attraction offered children their very first taste of independence and excitement in a highly controlled environment. Similarly, the Mini Bumper Boats in Market Square provided a delightfully cute experience where little ones between thirty-six and forty-eight inches tall could enjoy the same bumping fun as the older kids.
Perhaps one of the most educational and beloved attractions for children was the O.P. Driving School. As Canada's only dedicated driving school for kids, it combined education with entertainment. Guests between forty and sixty inches tall were thoroughly briefed on the rules of the road before taking to the streets in electric cars. They navigated a highly realistic course featuring real road signs and signals, learning how to steer, accelerate, brake, and respect traffic safety. These spaces were more than just rides; they were interactive learning environments that brought families together, and our current urban landscape deeply lacks this kind of accessible outdoor engagement for young children.
Beyond the attractions for tiny tots, Ontario Place was famous for its universally appealing experiences that brought everyone together, regardless of age. We call for the return of massive active play structures like the H2O Generation Station, which stood proudly as the largest outdoor soft play climbing structure in the entire country. This maze of activity centers gave children boundless opportunities to tumble, slide, crawl, and climb through twisting slides, covered walkways, tunnels, towers, obstacle courses, hurdle challenges, and funhouse mirrors.
We also remember the unmatched excitement of The Atom Blaster, a foam-ball free-for-all factory that was the only one of its kind in Canada. This attraction kept children and youth busy all day long with an unlimited supply of soft, multi-colored foam balls fueling interactive ball cannons, volcanoes, huge tipping baskets, ball fountains, blowers, air tables, and spiral slides.
Families could also take to the sky on First Flight, boarding a beautiful replica hot-air balloon for a smooth, scenic ride through the summer air, accessible to guests of all ages when accompanied by an adult. For those seeking a bit more gravity-defying excitement, the Free Fall drop tower ride offered a thrilling drop that excited kids forty-two inches or taller, alongside their parents. The iconic Super Slide, located on the hill beside the Festival Stage, allowed guests to climb to the top of a massive tower, take in a stunning three-hundred and sixty degree view of the Toronto waterfront, and then race ninety feet down to the bottom.
Recreation at Ontario Place was also about connecting with the beautiful geography of the Toronto islands and lagoons. The Pedal Boat Adventure on Adventure Island offered a relaxing, leisurely glide across the water, providing a unique vantage point of the park grounds. Adventure Island was also home to Mini Greens, featuring two challenging nine-hole miniature golf courses beautifully built directly into the landscaped hillside.
For those who loved games of skill, Cool Hoops on Adventure Island offered an innovative twist to the game of basketball by rolling the strategies of basketball, miniature golf, and billiards into one big challenge that grew progressively harder at each bankboard. Furthermore, the park was a pioneer in technology with its futuristic Arcade, themed specifically to look like the flight deck of a large spacecraft. This arcade featured leading-edge virtual reality systems, thirty-two bit digital sound, and compelling three-hundred and sixty degree gameplay that included advanced driving simulators, Alpine Ski simulators, Wave Jet, and Sega Rally. Bringing back these diverse family attractions would ensure that Ontario Place remains an active, vibrant destination through the spring and summer months.
For the true thrill seekers, Ontario Place offered iconic adventures that became legends in the Canadian amusement park industry. We loudly petition for the return of a world-class water log flume experience modeled after the Wilderness Adventure Ride. Located on Adventure Island, this was the world's largest fully animated flume ride, taking riders forty-two inches or taller through highly detailed, scenic forests and canyons that celebrated the natural beauty of Northern Ontario. It combined the thrill of a classic log flume with regional cultural storytelling.
In addition, the full-sized Bumper Boats in the Marina Village allowed older youth and adults over forty-eight inches tall to set their own pace for either leisurely water fun or frenzied bumping action. The indoor and outdoor multi-level labyrinth known as the O.P. Maze or MegaMaze on Adventure Island challenged the senses of participants with seven different mazes filled with optical illusions, lasers, and sound effects as they searched for a way out.
We also miss the educational thrill of the F/X Adventure Theatre. This thirty-seat motion simulator took guests on a sensory journey through the environment, showing the planet through the eyes of creatures like frogs, dolphins, leopards, owls, and bears. It allowed participants to feel the bees buzz past their necks as they rode down a simulated river, teaching an invaluable lesson about ecological conservation and sharing the planet.
Finally, no summer in Toronto was complete without a visit to Soak City, Ontario Place's coolest venue and the only downtown water park in Toronto. We ask that any modern development of the site honors the legacy of this accessible urban water oasis. Soak City accommodated thousands of residents looking to cool off on hot summer days with heated water and incredible attractions. The Rush River Raft Ride was a true engineering marvel and the only one of its kind in Canada, offering eight hundred and seventy-three feet of twisting turns and seven thousand gallons of rushing water for families to experience together on a giant raft.
The water park also featured the Pink Twister and the Purple Pipeline, which delivered an additional one thousand feet of waterslide action. These slides combined sensational speed, tumultuous turns, daring drops, and the eerie darkness of enclosed flumes that sent inner tubes plunging into a refreshing splash pool. The ultimate test of bravery was the Hydrofuge, where riders shot down a tube on a thin sheet of water at speeds of up to fifty kilometers per hour, swirled around a gigantic bowl, and plunged into a deep landing pool. For the youngest visitors, the interactive Waterplay area offered a safe, wet, and wild space for unbelievable silliness.
Ontario Place was designed for the people of Ontario. It was a space where wealth, status, and background did not matter, because the accessible layout and ticketing options like the Play All Day Pass made these incredible rides and attractions available to everyone. In our current climate, there is a severe shortage of affordable, family centric outdoor entertainment spaces within Toronto's downtown core. Replacing these historic, high-engagement recreation zones with exclusive or non-interactive spaces strips away the very identity of the waterfront.
We, the undersigned, urge our leaders and developers to listen to the community. We demand that any development plans for Ontario Place explicitly include the return, modernization, or faithful reimagining of these beloved rides and attractions. Let us bring back the sound of children laughing at the O.P. Driving School, the splash of the Wilderness Adventure Ride, the family races down the Super Slide, and the refreshing community joy of Soak City. Restore Ontario Place as a park for everyone.
Petition Updates
Share this petition
Petition created on October 13, 2026