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Ontario Science Centre's abrupt closure sparks outrage over alleged government misconduct

Was the Science Centre's shutdown justified—or a manufactured crisis? Experts and activists demand answers as the iconic building is torn down years before a replacement.

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2 min read
The image shows a construction site with a large building in the middle of it, surrounded by a...
The image shows a construction site with a large building in the middle of it, surrounded by a metal fence, a traffic cone, some containers, a crane, some stones, and a group of buildings with windows. The sky looks cloudy, and the scene is likely the aftermath of the demolition of the new building at the University of Toronto.

Ontario Science Centre's abrupt closure sparks outrage over alleged government misconduct

By Ray Rivers

June 23rd, 2024

BURLINGTON, ON

"We were worried this stunt would be pulled by Premier Ford and the Ontario government... This is a manufactured crisis and we feel it's an abuse of power," (Jason Ash - Save Ontario's Science Centre)

This Science Center fiasco is clearly weighing on Mr. Ford's conscience. And like the bully he is, he has gone to great lengths to try to silence criticism.....

  1. At the first sign of resistance to moving the Science Centre some consultants prepared a clearly biased and grossly inaccurate cost benefit study supporting the relocation;
  2. When it was clear that everyone, including the provincial auditor general, could see though that ruse, one of his ministries manufactured another report which suggested replacing a roof tile before a heavy winter snow fall;
  3. Claiming public safety as a pretext, the Science Centre was immediately shuttered, even though that had not been recommended in the report;
  4. Finally, the building is being dismantled to destroy the evidence.

The new science centre is not scheduled to open until at least 2028 so the Province is contemplating offering the science experience somewhere else. All in all, this is an example of how our government wastes our money just to cater to the whims of a clearly dog-minded premier who has got himself tangled up in something.

The science centre had been an important part of our children's education and a great attraction for visitors. It'll be a different experience when it re-opens in its much more limited capacity at least four years from now.

"I read the report; it says nothing about closing the Science Centre," (Elsa Lam, editor of Canadian Architect Magazine).

Ray Rivers, a Gazette Contributing Editor, writes regularly applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was once a candidate for provincial office in Burlington. He was the founder of the Burlington citizen committee on sustainability at a time when climate warming was a hotly debated subject. Ray has a post graduate degree in economics that he earned at the University of Ottawa. Tweet @rayzrivers

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