The provincial government has found a temporary home for the Ontario Science Centre
And it will disappoint anyone who wants it to stay where it is
Back in 2024, the provincial government abruptly shut down the Ontario Science Centre, claiming the building was in a state of disrepair. Critics of the closure accused Premier Doug Ford of exaggerating the building’s roofing issues, suggesting that what he really wanted was an excuse to move it to Ontario Place.
Whatever the reason, the Science Centre was a beloved destination for 55 years, and the core memory of getting energetically sizzled by the static ball should be available to Ontarians of all ages forever.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on who you ask, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming announced yesterday that the Science Centre will find an interim home at the Harbourfront Centre as of this summer.
“This move will help the Science Centre continue its mission of creating lasting memories with friends and family and nurturing a lifelong love of science, all while contributing to the vibrancy of Toronto’s waterfront,” said Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming, Stan Cho, in a media release.
The expanded Harbourfront location will operate until the permanent Ontario Place facility is ready. The announcement said the temporary location will occupy about 86,000 square feet—much larger than the current pop-ups at Sherway Gardens and the one already at the Harbourfront Centre, but significantly smaller than the original location, which was about 568,000 square feet.
Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles is among those who remain unenthusiastic about the Science Centre changes. “I don’t buy it for a second, and the [original] Science Centre is still standing,” Stiles told CBC, regarding the recent announcement. “They could have closed a portion of it and had the rest of it continue to be open. We all know that there’s something else behind this.”
Related: Therme’s new spa at Ontario Place will bring 20 water slides, 10 pools and even more controversy
Carly Lewis is a journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Times and the New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, Wired, Interview Magazine, Pitchfork, Elle, and Maclean’s, where she is a contributing editor. Her work has been recognized by the National Magazine Awards and the Digital Publishing Awards. She reports on city life, culture—including what people do online—politics, art and crime. She received the Dave Greber Freelance Writers Award for “The Murder of Ashley Wadsworth,” an investigative feature about a Canadian teenager who was killed by a man she met on social media, published by Maclean’s.
