The Ontario Science Centre’s abrupt closure sparked new campaign promises from opposition parties on Thursday.
The Ford government continues to face blowback for the decision, which was made after an engineering report said the roof isn’t structurally sound.
READ MORE: Closing science centre unnecessary, says firm of architect who designed building
There is plenty of pushback from locals, science donors and even the architect who designed the building, adding that he believes the closure was politically motivated. The outrage even reached a point where one opposition member broke through the building’s barriers on Thursday.
NDP member, Kristyn Wong-Tam took it upon herself to remove the fencing that was installed at the closed Ontario Science Centre.
“Take down the fence, reopen the building. From what we’ve been looking at and the engineering reports we’ve heard from many of the experts is, that nothing in there is going to cause a problem right now…” Stiles said.
Outside the facility on Don Mills Road on Thursday, opposition leader Marit Stiles made a party pledge and says it would cost less to repair the roof of the building than to demolish and relocate it.
Stiles said, “If an NDP government is elected we will reopen and revitalize this. But you know what that requires? It means Doug Ford can’t put another finger on it unless he’s going to repair it.”
READ MORE: Architecture firm behind Ontario Science Centre says closure was ‘a political move’
Last week, the museum doors were abruptly closed after the Ford government said it received an engineering report about its roof, stating problems with the structure and it being in danger of collapsing.
Pushback followed with public donations for repairs, relocating science programming, and even layoffs of some food service workers.
OPSEU President J.P. Hornick said, “When we had the conversation with the government we were told that they would work with the external vendors to make sure that not a single person would lose a paycheque or a job. And in that conversation, it wasn’t immediately, it was for the duration, that all of these workers would have employment.”
READ MORE: More than 50 workers to be laid off from Ontario Science Centre, union says
The firm of the late architect who designed the Ontario Science Centre
says the province’s decision was made for political reasons rather than safety.
Premier Doug Ford and his government already announced plans to eventually relocate
the science centre to a downsized location at the the-soon-to-be redeveloped Ontario Place, slated for 2028.
“In my first 30 days as premier, I will appoint a special investigator to conduct a comprehensive investigation into all of Doug Ford and his governments’ shady backroom deals,” Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie wants to go outside government walls to look into other matters like the Greenbelt scandal and the dealings with Service Ontario.
“You know the auditor general is backed up, the FAO is backed up, we need a dedicated special investigator no matter that will look like. It could be an inquiry, a retired judge, it could be more RCMP investigations,” Crombie said.
READ MORE: Province seeks smaller home from temporary Ontario Science Centre
Stiles said, “We have many many independent officers of the legislature that can have all kinds of powers to investigate in ways that some P.I. is not going to be able to investigate.”
CHCH News reached out premier Ford’s office asking what his response was to Stiles’ pledge to reopen the science centre and Crombie’s promise to assign another investigation. They have yet to respond.
