Ontario Science Centre to move to Ontario Place, province confirms

The Ford government confirmed Tuesday that it intends to move the Ontario Science Centre to a redeveloped Ontario Place on Toronto’s waterfront.

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

“It will be a state-of-the-art, world-class, science centre,” Ford said at a news conference at Ontario Place. “This is going to be spectacular.”

Ontario Tourism Minister Neil Lumsden said the science centre will move to the waterfront site in 2025 and remain open in its current location on Don Mills Road in North York until then.

“We are looking forward to working with our staff, visitors and communities over the coming years to imagine what the new Ontario Science Centre will become,” the science centre said in a statement.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to set us on an exciting path where we will continue to inspire curiosity, innovation and discovery for generations to come.”

RELATED: ‘I think it’s a great idea,’ Ford supports moving Science Centre to Ontario Place

The current science centre will remain open in the interim. It will eventually be demolished, hopefully for housing, Ford said.

Ford said the Ontario Science Centre will be a bit smaller than its current location and will be housed in a brand new building and also in the upgraded Cinesphere and Pod complex.

The 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 redevelopment of the Ontario Place site 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 at the site.

European company Therme Group is set to build a massive spa and waterpark and Live Nation is set to build an outdoor concert venue at the site.

The plans have prompted criticism from the opposition and advocates who do not want to see a private spa at a public park.

Former Toronto councillor and mayoral candidate Ana Bailão has previously said she would support relocating the Science Centre to Ontario Place, adding that the move would free up the land the Science Centre currently occupies and make room for new housing.

In Tuesday’s announcement, the province said “Moving the Ontario Science Centre also creates a generational housing opportunity at the future site of a terminus station of the new Ontario Line with additional planned community infrastructure,” adding officials will work with the City of Toronto to make this a reality.

The Ontario Line is not expected to be complete until 2031.

Last week, Ford appeared to tease an announcement on the future of Ontario Place.

He expressed support for the idea of moving the Ontario Science Centre to the waterfront space and all but confirmed an announcement would be coming soon.

With files from Michael Ranger and Richard Southern of CityNews