Philip Jong

In June 2024, the Government of Ontario abruptly announced the permanent closure of the Ontario Science Centre at its current location in the city of Toronto (where I live). The news followed plans made by the provincial government in April 2023 to relocate the center to Ontario Place, presently closed in part for redevelopment, to be reopened in 2028 as part of the city’s waterfront revitalization. Originally named the Centennial Museum of Science and Technology, the center was initially set to open in 1967 during the Canadian Centennial celebration. However, construction of the center was delayed such that it was not until September 1969 when the center was finally open to the public. Unlike most other science museums of the time, the center chose a predominantly interactive approach to science education by utilizing a combination of hands-on exhibits and live demonstrations to engage visitors about science. Aside from the many permanent displays and galleries (the planetarium being the most recognizable), the center had also featured a number of traveling exhibits since its opening which frequently explored the role of science in arts and popular culture. Unfortunately, despite undergoing significant capital renovation between 2001 and 2007, the center gradually fell into a state of disrepair due to continual structural decay in both the main facilities and the surrounding structures. The decision by the government to now close the center was based on an engineering survey of the center’s roof revealing that some sections of the roof were structurally compromised and were thus at high risk of collapse from accumulating snow during winter. The unexpected closure of the Ontario Science Centre was met with public outcry. Opponents of the closure claimed that the decision was politically motivated. Proponents of the closure, on the other hand, argued that it would be a waste of public funds to repair a facility already destined to be relocated. I have many fond memories of visiting the Ontario Science Centre both as a child and as an adult. Regardless of the center’s future, it is tragic that the center did not receive a proper farewell from the public which it so well deserved.