TORONTO – On Tuesday, Kinga Surma, Minister of Infrastructure, issued the following statement on the release of the business case for the relocation of the Ontario Science Centre to Ontario Place.
“As promised, Infrastructure Ontario has released its business case for the relocation of the Ontario Science Centre to Ontario Place. This business case supports our government’s original vision for Ontario Place, which is to bring science-based programming to the heart of Toronto as part of a new world-class destination that offers a range of family-friendly, year-round activities and is easily accessible for families from across Toronto and Ontario.
The business case confirms that the relocation will save Ontario taxpayers $257 million over a 50-year period when compared to the cost of remaining at the current site and will also provide a greater share of space for programming than is the case at the current site. The decision to move the centre was also supported by the Ontario Science Centre board, which voted in favour of the move in April 2023.
The third-party assessment conducted by Pinchin Limited determined that the existing Ontario Science Centre facility, which is more than 50 years old, would require a minimum capital investment of at least $478 million to help repair and replace outdated infrastructure. A report issued last year indicated that the existing Science Centre will reach the end of its useful design life in three to five years. Compounding this reality, annual reports from the centre indicate that attendance at the current centre has been in decline since 2009.
In addition to providing significant taxpayer savings, 40 per cent of the new Ontario Science Centre will be programmable space, compared to approximately 25 per cent at the current site. Once relocated to Ontario Place, up to one million people will visit the brand-new facility every year, bringing new science-based educational programming to the heart of the city and saving hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars in the process.
I am confident that the new Ontario Science Centre will continue to inspire generations of young people towards the jobs of the future as part of an iconic, all-season destination for up to six million people annually at Ontario Place.”
SOURCE Province of Ontario
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