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www.thestar.com

How the Ontario Science Centre was suddenly shut down — and why

Ontario’s auditor general had warned that “deferred maintenance projects that were at risk of critical failure have been repeatedly denied funding” at the Science Centre.
www.thestar.com www.thestar.com


- IO will get the report peer-reviewed
- the fact that even 1 panel is at risk increases the risk of a full roof collapse
 
generalcanada said:
www.thestar.com

How the Ontario Science Centre was suddenly shut down — and why

Ontario’s auditor general had warned that “deferred maintenance projects that were at risk of critical failure have been repeatedly denied funding” at the Science Centre.
www.thestar.com www.thestar.com
Click to expand...
I think some new information:

One reason for immediate closure is to give staff time to plan for whatever science centre we are going to have (temporarily). The messaging sounds as if this would be not possible to achieve in tandem of keeping it open.

Many other buildings (in Ontario) have the same material used... Are now being looked at (will they be closed as swiftly as OSC?) - given children frequent involved with OSC, I can understand the risk aversion.

The auditor general has listed numerous issues with the OSC that have been ignored since 2017 (no surprise here), a year before Ford took office.

It would take 2 to 5 years to replace the roof. Possibly beyond the planned move date.

I still find the communication about the whole thing poorly managed... And the messaging (as shown with other arms length agencies) seems to be very controlled. Why was the OSC not able to share why the bridge was closed as it was structurally not sound? We now know IO ordered the closure: it would cost 16 million to repair (I imagine the shuttle busses weren't as pricey for the 6 years planned until move). They knew they were moving it, so presumably didn't fund.

One final interesting tidbit I found interesting:
Screenshot_20240624_224707.jpg

Just to stir the pot.... Do we think there was evidence of the problem? It sounds like this isn't something you know to lookout for... Unless you have a motive...?
 
Coolibop said:
I think some new information:

One reason for immediate closure is to give staff time to plan for whatever science centre we are going to have (temporarily). The messaging sounds as if this would be not possible to achieve in tandem of keeping it open.

Many other buildings (in Ontario) have the same material used... Are now being looked at (will they be closed as swiftly as OSC?) - given children frequent involved with OSC, I can understand the risk aversion.

The auditor general has listed numerous issues with the OSC that have been ignored since 2017 (no surprise here), a year before Ford took office.

It would take 2 to 5 years to replace the roof. Possibly beyond the planned move date.

I still find the communication about the whole thing poorly managed... And the messaging (as shown with other arms length agencies) seems to be very controlled. Why was the OSC not able to share why the bridge was closed as it was structurally not sound? We now know IO ordered the closure: it would cost 16 million to repair (I imagine the shuttle busses weren't as pricey for the 6 years planned until move). They knew they were moving it, so presumably didn't fund.

One final interesting tidbit I found interesting:
View attachment 575309
Just to stir the pot.... Do we think there was evidence of the problem? It sounds like this isn't something you know to lookout for... Unless you have a motive...?
Click to expand...
There is 1 thing common among all of Ford's scandals....Communication and messaging.
Just obvious easy pr blunders that make no sense.
 
ssiguy2 said:
I fail to understand why Torontonians are so against moving the Science Centre to near Ontario Place. It is a far nicer and more convenient location and let's be serious, the OSC is in pretty bad shape and that cannot be blamed on Ford. It has basically been neglected for 30 years and they are right to close it down if it is structurally insecure, even if just a part of it.
Click to expand...

1. While theoretically the location was further away to downtown than OSC currently is, there is better transit connection there, and will be significantly better over the next several years than Ontario Place with its very long walk to anything transit.

2. The Ontario Place site is smaller = fewer exhibits, and likely a smaller capacity, which is what actually matters here. Many OSC exhibits are hands on, which doesn't work well with excessive crowding.

3. Think of how much neglect can be undone if they put just a fraction of the money used for the parking lot and relocation into regular funding of the original site. Any new site will suffer the same fate without the money coming in.
 
ssiguy2 said:
I fail to understand why Torontonians are so against moving the Science Centre to near Ontario Place. It is a far nicer and more convenient location and let's be serious, the OSC is in pretty bad shape and that cannot be blamed on Ford. It has basically been neglected for 30 years and they are right to close it down if it is structurally insecure, even if just a part of it.
Click to expand...
I hate to make a car-friendly, suburb-friendly argument, but the OSC is much more convenient to get to from the 905 than any of the downtown museums.

When I was a child growing up in Brampton, we frequently went much more often to the OSC and the Zoo than the ROM, and I can only think of going to the AGO once, when we went in high school (much more likely to go to the McMichael collection in Woodbridge).
 
^^^^ This.

I think many on this site have a hardcore downtown mentality (coupled with the official Urban_Toronto mantra - Cars are the Devil).

But when your main audience is kids it's a helluva lot easier to get your little ones somewhere by car than by walking and transit.

The OSC was super easy from a family perspective. Realitively cheap, abundant parking (I know, the most evil thing imaginable) and easy accessibility right off the DVP/Don Mills.

We could whip up there from Cabbagetown in literally 10 minutes door to door on a Sunday morning. Versus having to get the kids on a streetcar (currently unfortunately rolling homeless shelters) and grungy unreliable TTC to ROM or AGO.

The car friendliness of the OSC was a huge positive not a negative for the actual people who used it, even if philosophically it goes against what UT theology is.

Take another attraction geared towards families... Little Canada. It's right smack at Dundas station. You literally walk off the platform and you're at the Little Canada entrance in under 100 paces. But that area of town is a hellscape and not being able to easily drive in and and out with cheap parking is actually a deterrent.

Ripley's is honestly a pain to get to as well with young kids, but of course it gets the tourists.
 
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DKsan said:
I hate to make a car-friendly, suburb-friendly argument, but the OSC is much more convenient to get to from the 905 than any of the downtown museums.

When I was a child growing up in Brampton, we frequently went much more often to the OSC and the Zoo than the ROM, and I can only think of going to the AGO once, when we went in high school (much more likely to go to the McMichael collection in Woodbridge).
Click to expand...
And as a Mississauga resident I prefer to take my kids to the ROM and AGM. Just by coincidence we took our kids to OSC about three weeks ago and it was close to an hour and a half drive in traffic. At least on the GO train it’s an adventure. In a car it’s a nightmare.
 
Isn't it ironic then that they are building a rapid transit line right to OSC where it's currently from a GO Station that would cut hours of driving getting to it.
 
sixrings said:
And as a Mississauga resident I prefer to take my kids to the ROM and AGM. Just by coincidence we took our kids to OSC about three weeks ago and it was close to an hour and a half drive in traffic. At least on the GO train it’s an adventure. In a car it’s a nightmare.
Click to expand...
Born and raised in Mississauga, my most vivid memory of the OSC as a child was moving at walking pace on the 401 and DVP.
 
generalcanada said:
There is 1 thing common among all of Ford's scandals....Communication and messaging.
Just obvious easy pr blunders that make no sense.
Click to expand...

This is not a PR blunder - it is questionable decision-making and ulterior motives - just like the Greenbelt (unless you want to call flip-flopping on major policy "PR"). Calling it a PR issue cheapens the modus operandi of this government - it's the equivalent to someone using "ha ha, it's just a joke" as an excuse.

Also, the government appointed the board - did the board just realize that the building has long standing maintenance issues? If that is so, I question the competence of the board in their duties and by extension, whose interests are they reflecting.

AoD
 
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