Ontario Place Through The Years

Ontario Place is an internationally acclaimed cultural, leisure and entertainment parkland located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The complex extends throughout three man-made islands along the Lake Ontario waterfront.

Ontario Place opened in May 1971 and featured a five pod pavilion complex, The Forum, pedal boats, a marina, restaurants and the world's first permanent IMAX® theatre, the Cinesphere.

Cinesphere Experience

Cinesphere was opened in 1971 as one of the world's most advanced theatres. It was built to "create a space capable of housing the existing and the future scope of film", Cinesphere stands as the first permanent IMAX® film theatre in the world.

Housed in a triodetic-domed structure, Cinesphere was designed to accommodate all conventional film formats and also many of the experimental films produced for Expo '67 in Montreal and Expo '70 in Osaka. Several of these films could previously be shown only in theatres designed specially for each film.

Expo '67 and Expo '70 introduced large screen and multiple-image films to a vast audience. Multiple images heightened the impact of the film, emphasizing and amplifying the story, with the large screen giving the feeling of actually being "in" the picture. By involving the audience more deeply in the story, the large screen introduced new dimensions for both film maker and audience.

Cinesphere also introduced other innovations, including:

* single large screen: 80 feet wide by 60 feet high
* armchair seating for an audience of 752 people
* the outer seats of many rows have the capability of swiveling so that each member of the audience has an equally good perspective
* the steep rake is designed to ensure an unobstructed view of the screen

Digital sound reproduction capabilities were added in 1991 for the Toronto premiere of the IMAX® film "At The Max" - a 90 minute Rolling Stones concert experience. Currently Cinesphere can present films with digital sound tracks in the IMAX®, DTS and Dolby SR-D formats.

Directions

Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)

To get to Ontario Place via TTC:

Take the Bloor subway to Bathurst Station, then the Bathurst 511 streetcar south to Exhibition Place. You will then have to walk south through the Exhibition grounds, over the Lakeshore bridge and into Ontario Place.

From Wilson Station or Dufferin Station take the Dufferin 29 Bus South. This bus will take you to the Dufferin Gates at the north/west corner of Exhibition Place. From there it is a 10 minute walk across the grounds to Ontario Place.

From Union Station, take the Harbourfront 509 streetcar to Exhibition Place. You will then have to walk south through the Exhibition grounds, over the Lakeshore bridge and into Ontario Place.

Call TTC for more info at (416) 393-INFO

Driving Directions

From the East
Take the Gardiner Expressway and get off at the Spadina Ave Exit, drive west along Lakeshore Blvd and follow signs to Ontario Place.

From the West
Take the Gardiner Expressway and get off at the Jameson Ave exit and follow Lakeshore Blvd. Eastbound to Ontario Place.

Ontario Place's address is:
955 Lakeshore Boulevard West
Toronto, Ontario M6K 3B9

Please visit their web site to get the current ticket price, cineshpere prices.

http://www.ontarioplace.com