Rally held as community angered by Ontario Science Centre closure

Community members, advocates and politicians held a rally Sunday to protest the Ford government's decision to abruptly close the Ontario Science Centre.

The event, organized by advocacy group Save Our Science Centre, took place at West Hills Park in the Toronto's St. Clair West neighbourhood.

"The Government of Ontario plans to demolish the iconic, award-winning OSC to replace it with a 50 per cent smaller building, located on top of a parking garage at Ontario Place. This plan is not only unnecessary, it's expensive too," reads a public letter to Ontario Premier Doug Ford on the group's website that's been signed by more than 30,000 people.

Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma announced Friday the government was closing the centre in Toronto's Don Mills neighbourhood that day, citing safety concerns with the building's roof contained in an engineering report commissioned by the province. Ministry officials said a type of lightweight concrete, popular in the 1960s when the building was constructed, has now proven problematic and requires costly repairs.

Workers began erecting fencing around the Science Centre on Friday, blocking access to the building and its parking lots, with the site being patrolled by private security guards.

The abrupt closure comes after the government's controversial announcement in 2023 that the popular landmark and attraction would be moved to the Ontario Place site — a move it says will save costs — but the new building won't open up until 2028.

"We were always worried that [Ford] might do this. This is earlier than we expected," Jason Ash, co-chair of Save Ontario's Science Centre, told CBC Toronto Saturday. 

The report from engineering firm Rimkus Consulting Group found structural issues with the roof panels, some of which require fixing by Oct. 31,1 2024 to avoid a potential collapse under a significant buildup of snow, but it stopped short of recommending a closure of the building.

While the report pointed out those issues could be fixed at a cost, the province is choosing to shutter the location indefinitely.

Ash said he believes the government is misrepresenting what's in the report to convince the public the building isn't safe so that it can justify the decision to move it.

"If you read the actual consultant's report, they say that one panel is critical and needs to be replaced," he said.

The decision to close the centre, which was designed by prominent architect Raymond Moriyama to commemorate Canada's centennial anniversary and opened to the public in 1969, has prompted outrage among community members.

Sameer Sayed and his three school-aged children, who live across the street from the centre, said his family visits three to four times a month.

"It's really disappointing that the peak time, the boom time for the kids and the parents to come during summer vacation, has been snatched away and stolen away from the kids," Sayed said in an interview outside the centre on Saturday.