Province moving Science Centre to Ontario Place grounds, plans to build housing in its place

The provincial government announced Tuesday it will be moving the Science Centre to the Ontario Place grounds — a site that itself is undergoing a controversial redevelopment process.

Premier Doug Ford unveiled plans Tuesday for the next stage of a redeveloped Ontario Place that includes a new location for the Science Centre, an expanded amphitheatre, a public beach, bars, restaurants, a new marina and a massive spa.

Ford said moving the Science Centre, which is in need of "major" repairs, to Toronto's waterfront is necessary.

"We've all grown up going to the Science Centre, it's tired," Ford said Tuesday at a news conference.

Construction on the new centre will begin in 2025 with its opening expected for 2028, the science centre said in a statement. The current science centre will remain open in the interim. It will eventually be demolished, Ford said.

The Science Centre will become part of the cinesphere and the pods that were part of the original Ontario Place design.

WATCH | Ford says current Science Centre site 'doesn't cut it':

The amphitheatre at Ontario Place will increase its capacity to 20,000 fans and hold concerts year-round.

The redevelopment plans also contain a large underground parking lot for more than 2,000 cars plus a surface parking lot with space for 600 cars.

The plans also include a new pier, beach and a large fountain for kids to play in.

Ford didn't say how much it would cost the province to redevelop Ontario Place, but said companies like Therme and Live Nation would foot the costs of their buildings. Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma said a business case showed it will be more cost-effective to build the Science Centre at Ontario Place rather than rebuild it at its current location.

Relocating is wrong move, NDP says

A statement signed by NDP MPPs Chris Glover and Bhutila Karpoche says the decision to move the Science Centre, an "integral part of the Flemingdon Park community," is wrong.

"Ontarians deserve better than back-of-the-napkin planning," the statement reads.

"Decisions like these cannot be made without transparency, accountability, and most importantly, an opportunity for local communities to weigh in."

The statement goes on to say that communities surrounding the centre are densely populated and have been "traditionally underserved."

"It is not just a tourist attraction or a building that is falling apart, as Ford described. Taking this away without even talking to the people who will be impacted is simply disrespectful."

The redevelopment of the Ontario Place site on Toronto's waterfront has been in the works for years. The attraction, which opened in 1971, was closed to the public in 2012 after years of financial losses.

Since then, the province has built a new waterfront park and trail.

First opened in 1969, the Science Centre currently sits on about 90 acres of largely ravine land at the corner of Eglinton Avenue East and Don Mills Road in northeast Toronto. It is slated as one of the terminal stations of the Ontario Line, a 15.6-kilometre subway line that would run from Ontario Place in the west to the Science Centre in the east.

A hot-button issue on mayoral campaign trail

Plans for Ontario Place have also become an issue on the Toronto mayoral campaign trail.

Ford said opposition to the redevelopment plan "doesn't cut it.

"The last time I checked on the sign out there, it doesn't say Toronto place. It says Ontario Place," he said.

"This is prime, prime real estate," Ford said. "We need more venues here in Toronto to attract more tourists."

Mayoral hopeful Ana Bailão previously said she supports moving the Science Centre to the waterfront.

In a tweet Tuesday ahead of the announcement, Bailão called on the province to guarantee the Science Centre building will be "preserved and used to serve the local community."

Coun. Josh Matlow, who is also running for mayor, questioned why the Ontario Science Centre had to move at all and said he'd push back against the plan if elected.

"Affordable housing is a key priority, but that's already planned for the parking lots at Ontario Place - let's provide housing on the lots and keep the Science Centre where it is," he said.

The decision to move the Science Centre from its current location has stirred reaction from students in the North York community.

Ahmad Alam, a Grade 10 student at Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute, says he was angry when he heard about the decision. He said he visits the Science Centre often with his friends because they live in the area.

"The Science Centre is the only thing we have [here]," Ahmad Alam told CBC Radio's Here and Now Friday.

"I thought it was pretty stupid. I don't think the kids are going to go downtown for it. Over here it is convenient for us."

LISTEN | Science Centre a critical part of Flemingdon Park neighbourhood, students say:

Paromita Roy, a Grade 11 student at the same school, said she is doubtful that students in the community will be able to visit the centre in the future.

"I think it would affect the neighbourhood a bit because you don't have the attraction that kids can look forward to," Roy said.

"Downtown is a very busy place and having it here it's a pretty nice place for kids to walk to."