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Supreme Court hears Ontario Place case today: can a government shield itself from court review?
The Supreme Court hears the Ontario Place Protectors constitutional appeal (File #41805) on Oct 15, asking whether a government can legislate its own decisions out of court review.
Why it matters
Groups that rarely agree — the City of Toronto, several First Nations, and environmental and civil-liberties organizations — all say this case matters far beyond one waterfront park: it will decide whether governments can shield their decisions from court review, and whether Ontario Place is a protected "public trust" asset.
Full report
The Supreme Court of Canada hears the appeal (File #41805), Ontario Place Protectors v. Ontario, this morning (EDT). In 2023 the Ford government passed the Rebuilding Ontario Place Act (ROPA) to turn the waterfront park into a private spa on a 95-year lease, exempting the project from the Environmental Assessment Act and the Heritage Act, removing the City of Toronto's noise-regulation authority, and extinguishing legal claims against the province.
Lower courts upheld the law; the Supreme Court granted leave to appeal in January 2026. Today is the hearing only — judgment comes later — and the hearing is webcast on the Court's website.
Interveners granted status include the City of Toronto, Greenpeace Canada, Ecojustice, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, the BC Civil Liberties Association, Animal Justice Canada, the Canadian Constitution Foundation, and First Nations including Athabasca Chipewyan and Mikisew Cree; the Ontario Place for All coalition (Toronto Field Naturalists, Democracy Watch, the National Trust for Canada) is represented by Cavalluzzo LLP.
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