The Ontario Science Centre has been permanently closed due to serious structural issues.
The abrupt closure came as the result of a new report, where engineers found that the building is at risk of potential roof failure due to snow load as early as this winter, the Ontario government explained in a press release.
The assessment detailed that the roof structure in parts of the facility was built using outdated construction materials and systems, and that certain roof panels are deteriorating.
The beloved institution opened in 1969, and was the world’s first interactive science centre.
Political leaders are expressing their shock and disappointment at the news of the landmark closing for good, including Mayor Olivia Chow, who described the shutdown as a “painful loss for the city.”
But many are also noting how coincidental the timing of the sudden closure is, following the push back Premier Doug Ford faced for his controversial plan of relocating the Ontario Science Centre to Ontario Place in an aim to revitalize the waterfront property. The new facility is set to be half the size, though the government has said it will have more exhibition space.
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NDP leader Marit Stiles, who called the science centre’s closure “heartbreaking,” also said the government’s motive behind the closure is “to justify Doug Ford’s mega-spa vanity project,” in a press release.
“The government could have invested in revitalizing the Ontario Science Centre, but instead it used our public money to concoct a sham business case against this important community hub,” Stiles said.
Liberal MPP for Don Valley East Dr. Adil Shamji also had similar views, calling the closure a “tremendous, nonsensical loss,” and pointed a finger at Ford for neglecting the cultural hub.
“If Doug Ford really cared about the families in Don Valley East and throughout Ontario who rely on the Science Centre – such as the kids who were set to attend the school camps slated to begin in just a few weeks – he would have taken the necessary steps to keep it from closing,” Shamji said in a press release.
The Ontario government says it will be reimbursing all members of the Ontario Science Centre and summer camp participants within 30 days.
Infrastructure Ontario will also release a “Request for Proposals” to help identify a temporary location for the Ontario Science Centre, while work continues to build a new permanent home for the centre at Ontario Place, opening as early as 2028.
