I can’t remember what amount Jeff Bezos donated when he had his $55 million wedding…oh yes he gave Venice $3 million.
Hummm how is this allowed on StubHub??
Ticketmaster should not be allowed to resell tickets either. I bought tickets to Bruno Mars and they charge the purchaser ridiculous service charges ($143.80). I thought they were for Rogers Centre but found out after purchase that it was actually for Rogers Stadium. As a senior this is just too much walking for me. So to sell my tickets AT MY COST they charge me 15% and the purchaser has to pay service fees again on top of it. The 15% charge should be enough since they already got the service charges from me.
Tickets service fees were $143.80 + $138.30 (15%) + $143.80 (from purchased) =$425.90 is what Ticketmaster makes from this scenario. That’s absolutely ridiculous. All done electronically so they don’t even have postage fees!
This is no longer just a debate about a spa.
The New York Times investigation into Therme and the Ontario Place deal exposed something much bigger: the privatization of public waterfront land through a process already condemned by Ontario’s own Auditor General as unfair and opaque.
Doug Ford’s government handed a 95 year lease on publicly owned waterfront land to Therme, a European wellness company that presented itself as an experienced global operator. Ford repeatedly promoted Therme as a world class company with facilities “right across the world.”
But according to the New York Times investigation, Therme had actually built and operated only ONE spa at the time it secured the Ontario Place deal: Therme Bucharest in Romania.
The company allegedly claimed it operated four to six major facilities across Europe. In reality, the famous German “Therme” spas it referenced belonged to an entirely separate company founded by Josef Wund.
They were not the same company.
Therme used a remarkably similar name and logo, and according to the reporting, blurred the distinction between the two businesses while bidding for Ontario Place. Ford himself later appeared confused, publicly claiming they were “all one company.”
They were not.
And Therme only purchased ONE German spa years later, after already winning the Ontario Place lease.
That means Ontario appears to have awarded a nearly century long lease partly based on a track record that did not actually belong to the company at the time.
Even worse, Ontario government analysts reportedly found Therme had:
• weak finances
• low liquidity
• negative cash flow
• and less than one million euros in equity
Yet despite those concerns, the Ford government still pushed ahead.
The province also structured the project in ways that reduced oversight:
• environmental protections were weakened
• the project was treated as a real estate transaction
• bidders reportedly signed NDAs
• the process allegedly allowed Ontario to choose whichever company it wanted, even if requirements were not met
Meanwhile taxpayers were left carrying massive costs.
Ontario committed huge public infrastructure spending for a private luxury development, including parking facilities and site preparation costs worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Then came one of the most heartbreaking parts of the story.
More than 860 mature trees were cut down, many overnight and under cover of darkness, destroying bird habitat and wiping out a cherished public green space that countless Torontonians relied on during the pandemic for peace, exercise, mental health, and connection to nature.
And all of this happened before Therme had even secured outside financing for the Toronto project.
Think about that.
Public land destroyed.
Public trees removed.
Public money committed.
Public oversight weakened.
Before private financing was even secured.
And perhaps one of the most telling details of all:
Doug Ford only ordered a review of the Therme deal AFTER the New York Times investigation became international news.
Not after Ontario’s Auditor General raised concerns.
Not after years of opposition from residents, environmental advocates, and urban planners.
Not after questions about the procurement process.
Not after the destruction of more than 800 mature trees.
Without ANY public consultation.
Only after the world started watching.
The New York Times investigations make Ontario Place look less like visionary city building and more like a cautionary tale about privatization, political access, secrecy, and governments treating public assets as bargaining chips for developers and corporate interests.
Ontario Place belonged to the people of Ontario.
Now much of it is being transformed into a long term commercial venture wrapped in luxury branding and sold back to the public piece by piece.
And this entire scandal also proves why strong Freedom of Information laws matter.
Without investigative journalism, audits, transparency rules, and public scrutiny, Ontarians may never have known how questionable this deal really was.
This is no longer just a debate about a spa.
The New York Times investigation into Therme and the Ontario Place deal exposed something much bigger: the privatization of public waterfront land through a process already condemned by Ontario’s own Auditor General as unfair and opaque.
Doug Ford’s government handed a 95 year lease on publicly owned waterfront land to Therme, a European wellness company that presented itself as an experienced global operator. Ford repeatedly promoted Therme as a world class company with facilities “right across the world.”
But according to the New York Times investigation, Therme had actually built and operated only ONE spa at the time it secured the Ontario Place deal: Therme Bucharest in Romania.
The company allegedly claimed it operated four to six major facilities across Europe. In reality, the famous German “Therme” spas it referenced belonged to an entirely separate company founded by Josef Wund.
They were not the same company.
Therme used a remarkably similar name and logo, and according to the reporting, blurred the distinction between the two businesses while bidding for Ontario Place. Ford himself later appeared confused, publicly claiming they were “all one company.”
They were not.
And Therme only purchased ONE German spa years later, after already winning the Ontario Place lease.
That means Ontario appears to have awarded a nearly century long lease partly based on a track record that did not actually belong to the company at the time.
Even worse, Ontario government analysts reportedly found Therme had:
• weak finances
• low liquidity
• negative cash flow
• and less than one million euros in equity
Yet despite those concerns, the Ford government still pushed ahead.
The province also structured the project in ways that reduced oversight:
• environmental protections were weakened
• the project was treated as a real estate transaction
• bidders reportedly signed NDAs
• the process allegedly allowed Ontario to choose whichever company it wanted, even if requirements were not met
Meanwhile taxpayers were left carrying massive costs.
Ontario committed huge public infrastructure spending for a private luxury development, including parking facilities and site preparation costs worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Then came one of the most heartbreaking parts of the story.
More than 800 mature trees were cut down, many overnight and under cover of darkness, destroying bird habitat and wiping out a cherished public green space that countless Torontonians relied on during the pandemic for peace, exercise, mental health, and connection to nature.
And all of this happened before Therme had even secured outside financing for the Toronto project.
Think about that.
Public land destroyed.
Public trees removed.
Public money committed.
Public oversight weakened.
Before private financing was even secured.
And perhaps one of the most telling details of all:
Doug Ford only ordered a review of the Therme deal AFTER the New York Times investigation became international news.
Not after Ontario’s Auditor General raised concerns.
Not after years of opposition from residents, environmental advocates, and urban planners.
Not after questions about the procurement process.
Not after the destruction of more than 800 mature trees.
Only after the world started watching.
The New York Times investigations make Ontario Place look less like visionary city building and more like a cautionary tale about privatization, political access, secrecy, and governments treating public assets as bargaining chips for developers and corporate interests.
Ontario Place belonged to the people of Ontario.
Now much of it is being transformed into a long term commercial venture wrapped in luxury branding and sold back to the public piece by piece.
And this entire scandal also proves why strong Freedom of Information laws matter.
Without investigative journalism, audits, transparency rules, and public scrutiny, Ontarians may never have known how questionable this deal really was.
Please sign the petition! MAGA shouldn’t be involved in our politics!
I noticed today that my water has a brown tinge and they are doing work in the area underground for fibre installation
Any thoughts? Thank you.
No parking at Roger’s Stadium. Where do I park? Somewhere else on subway line? Suggestions greatly appreciated! 💜
Who owns Ontario’s news, and why CBC matters
When people attack CBC and say Canada should “defund” it, they often ignore one very important fact. Most of our news in Ontario is not publicly owned. It is corporate owned. A small number of very large companies control a huge amount of what Canadians see, hear, and read.
CityNews and Citytv are owned by Rogers Communications through Rogers Sports and Media. Rogers is not just a media company. It is one of the biggest telecom corporations in Canada, with major interests in cable, internet, wireless, sports, advertising, and broadcasting. Citytv was acquired by Rogers after CRTC approval in 2007.
CTV News is owned by Bell Media, which is part of BCE Inc. Bell itself describes CTV News as being from Bell Media, and Bell Media says CTV News Channel is a division of Bell Media, which is part of BCE, Canada’s largest communications company.
Global News is owned by Corus Entertainment. Global itself says it “leverages the strength of Corus Entertainment” and Corus is the parent company behind Global News.
So look at that clearly. CityNews is Rogers. CTV is Bell. Global is Corus. These are not neutral little local newsrooms floating around independently. They are part of large corporate media systems that depend on advertising revenue, corporate strategy, executive decisions, and shareholder interests.
Then there are the newspapers, and this is where it gets even more concerning.
Postmedia owns a huge number of Canadian newspapers, including the National Post, Toronto Sun, Ottawa Citizen, Windsor Star and many other papers across the country. Postmedia has been widely identified as Canada’s largest newspaper chain, and a major concern is that it has been heavily controlled by Chatham Asset Management, a United States based hedge fund. Multiple media analyses have described Chatham as a major controlling force in Postmedia.
That matters. When people talk about “Canadian media,” they often do not realize how much influence a foreign hedge fund has had over one of the biggest newspaper chains in this country.
Torstar owns the Toronto Star and has also owned Metroland, which has been a major publisher of local and regional newspapers in Ontario. Metroland has included papers such as the Hamilton Spectator, Niagara Falls Review, St. Catharines Standard, Welland Tribune, Waterloo Region Record and Peterborough Examiner. In 2023, Metroland filed for bankruptcy protection and stopped printing many weekly community papers, moving many of them online only.
The Globe and Mail is owned by The Woodbridge Company, the private investment vehicle of the Thomson family. Reuters reported that Woodbridge took full control of The Globe and Mail after BCE sold its remaining stake.
So when people scream that CBC is “biased” or “government propaganda,” they need to answer this question. Compared to what?
Compared to Bell?
Compared to Rogers?
Compared to Corus?
Compared to Postmedia?
Compared to a newspaper chain heavily influenced by a United States hedge fund?
CBC is not perfect. No news organization is. But CBC is Canada’s national public broadcaster. It is a Crown corporation created by Parliament, and its mandate is set out in the Broadcasting Act. CBC itself describes its role as Canada’s only national public broadcaster, with obligations to provide Canadian content, serve communities across the country, and reflect Canada’s regions and diversity.
That is the point. CBC is not owned by Bell. It is not owned by Rogers. It is not owned by Corus. It is not owned by Postmedia. It is not owned by a hedge fund. It exists because a democracy needs some journalism that is not entirely driven by private profit, corporate consolidation, advertising pressure, and billionaire or hedge fund interests.
This is especially important in Ontario, where so much local news has already been gutted. Bell has cut media jobs and cancelled several local newscasts. Corus has also faced major financial pressure and cuts. Metroland’s collapse gutted local community papers across Ontario.
This is not just about left versus right. It is about public interest versus corporate interest.
A country that loses public broadcasting becomes easier to manipulate. A province that loses local journalism becomes easier to corrupt. When fewer reporters are watching city halls, Queen’s Park, developers, lobbyists, police boards, school boards and cabinet ministers, the public loses power.
That is why CBC matters.
Not because it is perfect.
Because without it, the news landscape becomes even more dominated by corporate media, telecom giants, private investors, and right leaning newspaper empires.
So the next time someone says “defund CBC,” ask them who benefits when Canada’s public broadcaster is weakened.