In the newest edition of “who asked for this?” the Ontario Science Centre has been closed.
Of all the things that Ontarians need, our provincial government decided that shutting the Science Centre was top of the list.
The last of a long list of things no one asked for like new license plates that we can’t see in the dark or last year’s Greenbelt fiasco. I don’t know about you, but I am tired of these half-baked, ill-thought decisions that leave us scratching our heads saying, “who asked for this?”
There are more important things we can focus on like ensuring kids and young people receive a well-rounded, comprehensive education. More family doctors to support a growing and aging population. Rent control so that Ontarians can find decent, affordable places to live instead of people choosing between paying rent or buying groceries. Ensuring that our elderly in long-term care homes are safe and well taken care of.
These are the things we are asking this government for.
So, here we are, at the very start of summer break, with the Science Centre suddenly shut down and people scrambling for alternatives because planned camps and events were cancelled at the very last minute.
Who asked for this?
Like most people who live in and around Toronto, I have fond memories of taking my children to the Science Centre. We would head down the Don Valley Parkway to spend cold winter afternoons going from exhibit to exhibit, learning about the world around us and the sky above us.
The Ford government had plans to move the Science Centre south to Ontario Place ever since we heard about the Ontario Line (who asked for this line? Hasn’t Scarborough been pleading for transit for decades? Since the Scarborough RT ran off its tracks and was decommissioned, folks in the very east of Toronto have been using shuttle buses, with a new transit busway not scheduled to be completed until at least 2027.)
The government’s reason for closing the Science Centre was shut down was an imminent roof collapse as early as this winter. We learned that engineering reports showed no more than 6 per cent of roof panels were at high risk of collapse. There is disagreement on how long the repairs would take and how much they would cost.
Let’s close a Toronto cultural landmark and park it in the middle of construction and traffic chaos.
While we wait for our new science centre to be completed in 2028, what happens to the practical learning and opportunities for Ontario students? What of the job opportunities for the folks in the area? What about the community around the Science Centre?
I’d proffer another question: how did the Science Centre get to this point? There are significant repairs that need to be done, but how many governments — municipal and provincial — ignored this? Pushed it off to for another government to deal with? Although the centre may not be in as dire condition as the Ford government says, there is still a significant amount of work to be done.
We can’t simply blame the Ford government for letting the Science Centre go into disrepair. Responsibility can’t just be pushed from one government to the next without the city’s residents suffering.
Governments at all levels ignore issues until things are falling apart. From Toronto Community Housing buildings that are teeming with bugs and broken elevators, to roadways that are holding on with asphalt, hopes, and prayers.
Nothing gets done until we can’t ignore it any longer because the concrete is raining down on us.
