Item - 2026.MM39.51

 Councillor Josh Matlow, seconded by Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik, recommends that:

1. City Council authorize the City Solicitor to bring a motion seeking leave to intervene in the appeal of Ontario Place Protectors v. His Majesty the King in Right of Ontario and Attorney General of Ontario, case number 41805, before the Supreme Court of Canada, and to intervene in the appeal if granted leave by the Court.

The Rebuilding Ontario Place Act (ROPA) will have significant implications for Toronto, and we have one last opportunity to fight it at the Supreme Court.

This is not just about saving our waterfront. It’s about protecting the rule of law in our city and province. This legislation is a direct threat to our democracy – stripping away the public’s rights, eliminating transparency, and shielding government decisions from legal accountability.

The Rebuilding Ontario Place Act immunizes the government from any “remedy in contract, restitution, tort, misfeasance, bad faith, trust or fiduciary obligation, any equitable remedy or any remedy under any statute”. This is part of a larger pattern of the Ford government protecting itself from accountability for the decisions that they make which benefit themselves and their friends contrary to the public interest.

The Rebuilding Ontario Place Ac also exempts the government from any responsibilities under the Environmental Assessment Act, which many suspect would reveal catastrophic impacts not only on the natural environment but also on infrastructure and traffic.

For years, Doug Ford has been testing the boundaries of our democracy, including most recently announcing that he plans to exempt himself from Freedom of Information laws. This bill, if allowed to stand, will set a dangerous precedent - permitting the Premier to put his own interests ahead of the public good.

Torontonians deserve to be represented in this case. And when residents are willing to show leadership for our city’s interests, they deserve to know that City Hall has their backs.