At Ontario Place on Toronto’s waterfront, Therme Canada will be a year-round, all-ages destination offering thermal spas, pools, waterslides, wellness facilities, restaurants, gardens and more.
By Iris Winston
A new resort, wellness spa and entertainment centre is coming to Ontario Place in Toronto. Luxurious in concept, yet affordable in price, Therme Canada is intended to be a destination for all ages.
“It’s designed as an all-inclusive resort, whether you live up the street in Toronto or anywhere else in the province,” says former Liberal MP Adam Vaughan, Therme Canada’s senior adviser and spokesperson. “I’m really excited about it. The Therme experience is all about health, fun and relaxation. Therme Canada will be a great place to hang out and play all year round.”
The Therme Group is already a major presence in Europe with Therme Erding near Munich (1999) and Therme Bucharest (2016), the first two such resorts completed. Several other Therme resorts are in process around the globe. Therme Canada is the first of the group to be under construction in North America. The underlying theme among them is to introduce and demonstrate the health benefits of water in various styles and temperatures at any time of year.
As Dr. Robert Hanea, CEO of the Therme Group, has said, “Therme is a unique, all-season experience, a natural urban oasis where people can have fun and relax—boosting their physical and mental health. The future of Ontario Place will be defined by how successful it can be in connecting people to the water. Therme and our partners will add a new architectural landmark that will play a role in bringing more people back to the waterfront.”
Shovels are already in the ground for the revitalization and transformation of Ontario Place, which closed in 2012. The land is being cleared and there’s a commitment to replace mature trees at a six-to-one ratio, with smaller growth replaced at a two-to-one ratio. The expansion of the West Island is now underway and a causeway is being built to facilitate further construction.
Preceding the construction of any buildings is the development of a waterfront park, that will include walking trails and a sandy beach.
“The west side of the island is going to be converted to a completely accessible sandy beach complete with changing rooms and showers,” says Vaughan, noting that access to the beaches and waterfront park will be free. “We will also have a smaller beach on the south part of the island.”
“In the middle of it all will be a beautiful building that offers year-round activity at a very affordable cost,” says Vaughan. “Therme Canada is often referred to as a luxury spa and it will be an astonishing addition to the city’s waterfront, but the entry cost will be only $40 for the whole day and the public park is entirely free.”
The three zones within the building will be divided into playtime, relaxation and restoration zones. The play segment will focus on waterslides—more than 20 different types—and wave pools. For relaxation, people can enjoy a mineral bath, a waterfall shower or time in a steam room. They can also relax by an indoor or outdoor lagoon.
Then it’s on to the restoration zone, which includes saunas, massages, personalized nutrition experiences or even sip “a rum punch under a palm tree in the middle of February,” says Vaughan.
In addition, there will be restaurants and cafes, performances spaces for cultural events and a rooftop park. There will also be a pathway in the shape of the Credit River, as a way to honour the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, the traditional treaty holders in the area.
Along with that, the pillars surrounding Therme Canada will feature the names of the native plants growing there in English, French and the Indigenous language of the Credit First Nation.
Most of all, says Vaughan, Therme Canada will provide affordable fun for all ages and make everyone healthier at the same time.
“This is the kind of facility that makes you a convert once you’ve experienced it,” he says. “Our best calling cards are the great facilities themselves.”
Therme Canada has a 95-year lease on the land with a possible further extension.
For details, see www.thermecanada.com.
