News   Dec 11, 2025
241 Church Emerges Above Grade at Church and Dundas
 217     0 
News   Dec 11, 2025
UrbanToronto Leads Panel at The Buildings Show
 118     0 
News   Dec 11, 2025
Pinnacle Advances Interim Hotel Conversion for Former Toronto Star Building at One Yonge
 714     0 

Ontario Science Centre

The Ontario Science Centre is "owned" by the Province of Ontario. The federal government of Canada "owns" museums of its own. Examples include the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, and the Canadian Museum of History.

So why doesn't the Canadian government "expropriate" the Ontario Science Centre, including the building and land, and turn it into the "Canada Science Centre"?
 
Monarch Butterfly said:
How about "branches" in each provincial capital?
Click to expand...

Not sure if it makes much sense either - considering a good number of the provinces have their own science museums (off the top of my head - BC, AB, QC all got them). What's unique that the National museum would be offering to warrant branches?

AoD
 
AlvinofDiaspar said:
Plus it wouldn't make any sense for the Feds to run a science museum in Toronto - when there is already the Canadian Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa.

AoD
Click to expand...
It was never quite the same as OSC, IMO.

...to be fair though, that was back in the late 80's..which was somewhere back between horse drawn carts and horseless buggies. >.<
 
Comments from Minister Surma at today's Ontario Place announcement (around 32 min mark):

Regarding the temporary location (an RFP was issued a year ago, and it was originally slated to open in January 2026):

Sherway and Harbourfront pop-up locations have drawn a combined 50,000 visitors so far— a stark contrast to the 786,000 visitors in 2023 (including over 120k students).

No decision has been made on a permanent, temporary location. There's also no word yet on whether the current pop-ups will continue. Staff are considering rotating through different municipalities that have expressed interest.

On the old Science Centre building in Don Mills: Minister Surma deferred to the City of Toronto and the TRCA (who own the property) regarding its future use. For now, workers are still in the building, addressing ongoing mitigation efforts. She added that the site will be remediated according to what the City and TRCA ultimately decide to do with it (those conversations are just starting).

As for timelines? Still unclear. When asked about the 2029 target date for the new Science Centre, Premier Ford dismissed it, saying those were media-reported dates, not the government’s.
 
Hopefully some future government creates a proper science centre in the scale of the original, perhaps out in the portlands. The one wedged between Therme and Live Nation can be labelled "Ford Brothers Science Centre" so if it is incredibly lame we can find a way to smile at it.
 
They closed this wonderful facility on a lies and false claims. It would be nice they start owning this and work with The City to open this up again, so they don't have to waist money finding/building a new home for it. Why reinvent the wheel here?
 
UtakataNoAnnex said:
They closed this wonderful facility on a lies and false claims. It would be nice they start owning this and work with The City to open this up again, so they don't have to waist money finding/building a new home for it. Why reinvent the wheel here?
Click to expand...
Unfortunately no chance of it happening, since Ford is using the Ontario Science Centre relocation to justify and build attendance numbers for this idiotic spa.

At this point i'm just resigned to it all, 80% of the waterfront is already a walking embarrassment. Why not just go ruin even more of it since the city/province are absolutely clueless with how to build a proper waterfront. If it wasnt for Waterfront Toronto, 98% of the waterfront would be a world-class embarrassment.

But I digress, unfortunately the OSC at Don Mills is gone for good.
 
EnviroTO said:
Hopefully some future government creates a proper science centre in the scale of the original, perhaps out in the portlands. The one wedged between Therme and Live Nation can be labelled "Ford Brothers Science Centre" so if it is incredibly lame we can find a way to smile at it.
Click to expand...

I can see it now - the giant inflated balloon with a smiling Doug Ford in the middle. Maybe even a permanent statue of him there someday.
 
You must log in or register to post here.

Back
Top