Government officials worried Ontario Place spa is ‘high risk’

Long before the Ford government’s plans for a spa development at Ontario Place sparked controversy, provincial officials worried the Therme project could be a misguided investment, an internal document shows.

The document is a scorecard prepared by an unnamed group of government assessors in October 2019, before the province greenlit Therme’s plans. The scorecard shows officials questioned whether the spa could be a “white elephant,” a term commonly used to refer to an expensive project that delivers few benefits.

“Scale of development is high risk — white elephant?” reads the scorecard, obtained by the Star through a freedom of information request.

As the province continues to defend its controversial plan to redevelop Ontario Place , the scorecard reveals more internal unease ab