The Ford government announced the immediate and permanent closure of the Ontario Science Centre over concerns that the roof is no longer structurally sound, a drastic step announced just hours before the popular spot was to be closed to the public.
The state government said a new engineering report had found “serious structural issues” with the science centre building that could become apparent by winter, and the Ministry of Infrastructure has recommended the attraction’s board close the building.
The news broke just hours before the shutdown, but events such as children’s summer camps were already booked. The province said private weekend events would still go on, but summer camps would be canceled and fees would be refunded.
Work to close the attraction began on Friday morning, with fencing being erected around the perimeter of the site.
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“The measures taken today will protect the health and safety of Ontario Science Centre visitors and staff and ultimately support our reopening in our state-of-the-art facility,” Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma said in a statement.
The government has scheduled a technical briefing with the civil servant responsible for the matter, Infrastructure Ontario CEO Michael Lindsay, for 2:45 p.m. Friday. Surma, the minister in charge, will not be attending the announcement.
“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,” Sarma said.
The government said the issue stemmed from a professional engineering report which cited problems with the building’s rooftop panels.
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The report identified panels that were in a “highly damaged and high-risk condition” that needed to be repaired by the end of October in case they were further damaged by the weight of snow.
The government said the report estimated the cost of replacing the tiles to be between $22 million and $44 million.
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“Enhanced processes for storm water monitoring and rooftop facility management will ensure buildings remain safe through the summer months, but staff will need the time to safely evacuate buildings over these next few months,” the government said.
The state of repairs at the science centre, which was built in 1969, has come under scrutiny since a business plan prepared for the Ford government revealed $369 million in significant deferred maintenance costs over the next 20 years.
A separate report by the auditor general found that at least 42 projects deemed critical since 2017 have not been repaired, and multiple requests for funding to address delayed repairs have been denied in the past five years.
In 2022, Ontario Infrastructure deemed the pedestrian bridge connecting the main entrance and the exhibition hall unsafe and ordered it closed. In October of that year, an additional $7 million in short-term funding was approved to keep the building open for the time being.
Sudden closure infuriates critics
News of the sudden closure was met with anger and scepticism from opponents of the plan.
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Save the Ontario Science Centre, a group that has rallied to preserve the building for the future, said the timing of the announcement, coming at a time when opposition seemed to be growing, was “very convenient” for the government.
Floyd Raskin, co-chairman of the group, said the building was purposely underfunded but was forced to move the science centre to Ontario Place as part of the government’s heritage redevelopment project.
“The current administration has refused to fund its maintenance,” he said Friday. “The government’s failure to provide adequate funding has created a crisis… We don’t want to see a lite version of OSC that is half the size.”
The science center has about 400 employees, who met Friday afternoon to find out what their future holds, Raskin said.
The Ontario Public Employees Union (OPSEU), which represents the workers, announced it would hold a press conference later in the afternoon.
Local Liberal state member Adil Shamji said the timing of the announcement, just hours before the weekend, was no coincidence.
“This was planned in advance. This is all happening on a Friday afternoon … Doug Ford wants this news to be buried,” he said.
“What we’re seeing right now at the science centre is emblematic of how Doug Ford is treating public infrastructure in this province,” Shamji said.
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The sudden closure of the Ontario Science Centre means a dramatic change in plans for families who had booked their children to attend summer camp at the tourist attraction.
The government said it would reimburse people who paid for summer camp fees and arrange alternative child care at “nearby schools that implement similar programs.”
The province will also be providing refunds to all Ontario Science Centre members.
Meanwhile, private events will be allowed to continue through the weekend.
The science centre was already set to close, though less suddenly than the government announced Friday, and its programs were set to move to Ontario Place.
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“For more than 50 years, the Ontario Science Centre has been a beloved and essential landmark in our community and province,” said Ontario Science Centre CEO Paul Kortener.
The new science centre location is currently scheduled to open in early 2028 at a new waterfront location, with the province recently soliciting companies to build the new site.
Meanwhile, the state said it is searching for a new temporary location for the facility.
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