The Ontario Science Centre has recently let go of 31 employees, as reported by CBC News. According to a statement from Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) Local 549, this decision affected 27 permanent positions and four contract roles at the facility. Ontario’s Tourism Ministry spokesperson, Scott Clark, mentioned that the Science Centre is implementing changes to enhance the delivery of science education experiences at its temporary Harbourfront Centre site and upcoming Ontario Place location. These adjustments are expected to result in the creation of 1,000 new jobs. Clark emphasized that the quality of programming and learning experiences provided by the centre will remain unchanged. He also stated that new opportunities will be offered to some of the affected individuals at both the temporary and permanent locations.
In a related development, the province closed the science centre in east Toronto in the summer of 2024 due to reported deficiencies in the roof structure, as indicated by an engineering report. However, critics have raised doubts about this explanation, pointing out that the roof had previously withstood heavy snowfall and rainfall over the past two years. The government is currently constructing a new $1-billion science centre at Ontario Place, with plans for it to be operational by 2029.