Advocates worry about new Ontario Science Centre contract

The province is in the midst of relocating the science centre to Ontario Place after shuttering its current home last year in a controversial move.

As the Ford government works to move the Ontario Science Centre from its historic home to a new flagship location on the waterfront, the province is looking for a consultant to guide the vision, a move that’s setting off alarm bells for some advocates.

The province is in the midst of relocating the science centre from Don Mills Road and Eglinton Avenue to Ontario Place, after shuttering its current home last year in a move justified by apparent structural issues with the building’s roof.

Closing the science centre was a controversial move which sparked political backlash and local protests, with advocates claiming that the government had allowed the building to fall into a state of disrepair to justify moving the attraction to Ontario Place.

The decision to move the science centre to Ontario Place was announced in the spring of 2023 and abruptly sped up the next year, when it was closed with only a few hours’ notice.

As part of the move to Ontario Place, the government has issued a call for bids on a contract to help guide the science centre’s mission and programming at its new home.

“The Ontario Science Centre’s 10-year Strategic Master Plan will help to identify ways for the organization to fulfill its provincial mandate,” a spokesperson told Global News.

“As preparations move ahead for the new Ontario Science Centre at Ontario Place, this 10-year Strategic Plan will help guide the organization through the interim period. It will also help to define strategies and programming at the new facility to position the Science Centre for success.”

Critics of the government suggested its plan was back-to-front.