TORONTO — The Ontario Science Centre will suddenly close at the end of the day on Friday after engineers discovered a structural issue with its roof.
The news from provincial infrastructure officials comes as the government plans to relocate the science centre from its current location in east Toronto to a new site at Ontario Place on the city’s waterfront, which isn’t scheduled to open until 2028.
When the Ontario Science Centre opened in 1969, it was the world’s first interactive science centre, but years of limited capital investment have left the building with a variety of deficiencies.
Now, an engineering report has found that there are numerous roof panels that are in a “deteriorated, high-risk state” that could break under the weight of this winter’s snow.
Engineering firm Linkas Consulting Group said that to completely eliminate the risk, that type of roof panel would need to be replaced at a cost of $22 million to $40 million each, which would take more than two years to complete with the facility closed.
“The measures taken today will protect the health and safety of the Ontario Science Centre’s visitors and staff and ultimately support our reopening in our state-of-the-art facility,” Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma said in a statement.
“In the meantime, we remain committed to avoiding disruption to the public and enabling the Ontario Science Centre to continue fulfilling its mission through interim facilities and alternative program options.”
The government said the building will remain safe over the summer with “enhanced processes for stormwater monitoring and rooftop facility management” and that it is currently closed to allow staff to spend the summer away from the building.
According to its latest business plan, the science centre could welcome around 800,000 visitors between 2022 and 2023. Liberal MP Adil Shamji, who represents the constituency in which the science centre is located, was furious.
“We have kids signed up for summer camp in just a few weeks, and to have this facility closed without any warning or opportunity to come for one last tour is a devastating blow to the community, not just now but into the future,” he said.
The current building faces $369 million in deferred emergency maintenance costs over the next 20 years, according to a business plan released by the government last year. A building condition report found “multiple significant deficiencies” in the roof, walls, mechanical, electrical and elevator systems, interior finishes, site features and fire and life safety equipment.
Ontario’s auditor general said in a report last year that a lack of government funding was the main cause.
Forty-two projects deemed “critical” have not been fixed since 2017. For seven of those, the science center sought funding at least three times in the past five years and was denied each time, the auditors wrote.
Relocating the science center instead of renovating the existing one could save the government about $250 million over 50 years, according to the business plan. A significant portion of those savings would come from the fact that the proposed new facility would be about half the size of the current one, though officials say it would have more exhibit space.
The science centre’s summer camp was due to start in just over two weeks, but the government has identified a nearby school that could serve as an alternative site, but said it will offer a full refund to all participants, including science centre members.
Ontario Infrastructure issued a request for proposals Monday to find a location for an interim science centre until the new one at Ontario Place opens. The science centre is also considering offering mobile, virtual and pop-up services.
©2024 The Canadian Press
