Ontario Place to include new OPP detachment, police helicopter pad

TORONTO — Ontario’s solicitor general has announced that part of a redeveloped Ontario Place on Toronto’s waterfront will include a new provincial police detachment.

Michael Kerzner says the new Ontario Provincial Police detachment will be built to support the province taking over operations of the Don Valley Parkway and Gardiner Expressway from the City of Toronto.

The detachment will sit on Ontario Place’s east island and include a helicopter pad, a proposed marine unit and a mounted unit.

OPP will be responsible for traffic patrols on the two highways, and Toronto police will keep responsibility for non-traffic criminal matters on the highways.

Ontario is issuing a request for proposals to build a new administrative and maintenance building at Ontario Place that will house the police detachment.

The Toronto Police Association issued a statement condemning the plan, calling it a “gross overreach” into its members’ jurisdiction.

“We believe this move will inevitably fragment the delivery of traffic enforcement and general policing services, increasing stress for commuters and posing a potential risk to public safety,” association president Clayton Campbell wrote in a statement.

“If the solicitor general wants to invest in the safety and well-being of those who live, work and visit Toronto, we recommend expanding our traffic services unit, mounted unit and marine unit, or addressing our request to support staffing and resources for special events and protest management.”

The provincial government has faced criticism for other aspects of its plans for Ontario Place, including a spa and waterpark, as well as a relocated Ontario Science Centre.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 24, 2026.

Allison Jones, The Canadian Press