BarrieToday welcomes letters to the editor at raymond@barrietoday.com or via the website. Please include your full name, daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication). The following letter is in reference to a story titled 'No decision on temporary Ontario Science Centre location, minister says,' published June 24.
I am writing to express my deep concern and disappointment regarding the Ford government’s Ontario Place redevelopment plans, particularly the proposed construction of a massive parking structure with a price tag of nearly $400 million.
While the government attempts to justify this project with landscaping promises and vague claims about blending into the area, the reality is that it represents an alarming misuse of public funds in a time when our province is facing critical crises in education and health care.
Spending hundreds of millions of dollars on a parking garage — potentially for the benefit of private interests — while Ontario schools remain underfunded and short-staffed is indefensible. Teachers across the province are overburdened, and students are feeling the impact. School infrastructure is aging, classrooms are overcrowded, and special education support remains inadequate.
Imagine how far $400 million could go in addressing the province's severe teacher shortage, or ensuring that every child learns in a safe, well-maintained and well-equipped classroom.
Health care in Ontario is equally strained. Hospital wait times are growing, emergency rooms are understaffed and many communities are still facing a shortage of family doctors.
Instead of focusing on expanding access to health care and ensuring timely and quality services for all residents, the Ford government is pouring hundreds of millions into a parking structure. It's not just fiscally irresponsible — it’s morally out of touch.
Moreover, this project fails to include the reinstatement or rebuilding of the Ontario Science Centre, a beloved institution that has inspired generations of learners. Shuttering the Science Centre, a valuable educational and cultural hub, only adds to the perception that the government is prioritizing private deals over public good.
If the goal truly is to build a better Ontario Place for families, shouldn’t a world-class science centre be part of the plan — not sacrificed?
Ontarians deserve better. We deserve leadership that prioritizes education, health care and public services — not extravagant infrastructure for parked cars. The public has consistently voiced opposition to this redevelopment plan, yet the Ford government continues to push ahead, ignoring the will of the people.
I urge all concerned citizens to take action. Send an email to Premier Doug Ford and your local MPP. Let them know that you do not support this wasteful spending. Demand that public money be used for the public good — fixing schools, hiring teachers, improving hospitals and preserving cultural institutions like the Ontario Science Centre.
This is not just about a parking garage. This is about the kind of future we want to build for Ontario. It’s time we put people before concrete.
Kyle Tilley
Barrie
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