Runners, cyclists and others taking a scenic jaunt along Toronto's waterfront on Monday morning were met with startling new fencing blocking off a portion of the Ontario Place property that so many in the city still frequent daily.

According to Ontario Place for All, an advocacy group challenging the province's plan to turn the land into a private "megaspa," barriers were just erected on the edge of Trillium Park, preventing residents from getting to the West Island.

"Length of closure unknown," they tweeted shortly before 9 a.m.

Absolutely bloody disgraceful. Robbery of public land in plain sight.

— Not-A-Bluebird (Parroty account) (@catfish8888) May 29, 2023

Of course, residents already up in arms over the forthcoming redevelopment of the public space are outraged at the move, with many wondering if anything can be done in the fight to prevent the privatization of the unique and valuable green space.

While some fell to their knees in frustration at the gates, others were quick to jump onto social media to say how often they frequent the now-restricted area in the summertime, and suggesting parkgoers get out the boltcutters, tear down the fences and "take our Ontario Place back."

The sign as you enter Trillium Park at #ontarioplace says ' We encourage you to enjoy & explore'. The sign at @fordnation's proposed spa will say. 'This public park is now private & you will have to pay $40 per person to enjoy & explore'. @ONPlace4All pic.twitter.com/9rfO4Vj6Mx

— Sstrong (@hotelbaudin) May 28, 2023

People are calling today's development "sickening," "class warfare," and "a theft of land that belongs to the public," among other things, also noting that work permits have yet to be issued and fearing that clear-cutting trees from the property will be the next step.

Ontario Place is a lovely waterfront destination, even better when maintained (something Doug Ford refused to do just so he could turn it into something else). Making it a glass dome for the wealthy who arrive by giant SUVs is the antithesis of public service. It's class warfare.

— Asif Hossain (@asifintoronto) May 29, 2023

While Ontario Place has long been defunct and almost unrecognizable from its glory days as a destination amusement park, the public has fought back against its conversion into a palatial 65,000-square-metre, seven-storey for-profit spa and water park.

Austria-based Therme Group has promised to designate a dozen acres of the land to the public in the form of a beach, boardwalk and pathways, but the project still has not garnered the support of locals, whose concerns about keeping the space freely accessible to all have gone largely unheard.

Absolutely. Ford is on a spree to privatise public assets: parks, education, healthcare, transit.@CUPEOntario protests have shown that people power is stronger than "notwithstanding" clause. Need to campaign + protest against converting public park to private spa. #ontarioplace

— HotPopRobot: Tech4Good Space, Earth, Society (@wonrobot) November 11, 2022

The reimagined Ontario Place is set to become, in Premier Doug Ford's words, a "world-class, year-round" destination that will attract millions of visitors a year, with the Therme spa, indoor-outdoor music venue from Live Nation and a new Sciene Centre serving as its cornerstones.

Quebec's Écorécréo Group, which was on board to add an outdoor recreation park including ziplines and climbing walls, famously pulled out of the redevelopment last fall.