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By\u00a0Allison Jones<\/p>\nPosted on June 30, 2026<\/p>\n
By\u00a0Allison Jones<\/p>\n
The interim location of the Ontario Science Centre is now open to the public, as construction gets underway for a new, permanent home at Ontario Place set to open in 2029.<\/p>\n
The province abruptly closed the science centre in its east Toronto location two years ago with only a few hours’ warning, saying the roof needed urgent repairs. Critics have questioned that reasoning, given that the roof has survived record amounts of snowfall this winter.<\/p>\n
The science centre has operated two pop-up exhibits in the meantime, and the interim location is at the Harbourfront Centre pop-up, with an expanded footprint.<\/p>\n
There is a new space exhibit, as well as an area called Innovation Station and the KidSpark interactive exhibits, as well as outdoor space.<\/p>\n
Tourism and Culture Minister Stan Cho said he is proud that young minds will be inspired there, “developing their own unique ways to do tremendous things.”<\/p>\n
The Harbourfront site will cover about 86,000 square feet, far less than the former location’s 568,000 square feet.<\/p>\n
Cho said the old building “had its day,” but there were structural problems and a waterfront location holds a lot of promise.<\/p>\n
“I mean no disrespect to the beauty of that area … but you can’t compare it to where we are today,” he said. “This is about building a destination, a destination on the waterfront that we haven’t had before.”<\/p>\n
Cho was not able to say what the interim location will cost, but the province recently signed a $1-billion contract for the construction of the permanent new building at Ontario Place.<\/p>\n
The province’s auditor general has found that it would have cost $1.3 billion to maintain the centre’s east Toronto location.<\/p>\n
(C) The Canadian Press<\/p>\n
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