Toronto council has asked city staff to conduct a feasibility study on a potential city takeover of the Ontario Science Centre, but initial numbers suggest it would cost local taxpayers tens of millions a year to run the attraction.
Council endorsed a motion Thursday asking staff to report back on the feasibility study to Mayor Olivia Chow’s executive committee next month. It also asked the city manager to work with local philanthropists offering to fix the site after the provincial government announced suddenly last week it needed to shutter the centre because of its aging roof.
Chow urged councillors to get behind the push to keep the space open, and they voted 19 to 1 in support of the plan.
“Let’s continue to explore what we can do together and find the solution to maintain that joy and wonder, not just to our children, but for the generations to come,” Chow said.
City staff told councillors that the science centre is owned by the province and any takeover would have to be negotiated with the Ford government. The cost implications of the city taking over operation of the science centre are not fully known.
But city staff said publicly available information would suggest that Toronto would take on tens of million in annual operating costs, and hundreds of millions in capital expenses.
Province provides millions in operating grants to centre
Staff told councillors that the science centre receives an annual grant of $19 million from the province and loses as much as $2 million a year. They also said the building is in need of $164 million in repairs over the next five years, and that the bill will grow to $370 million over 20 years.
Coun. Stephen Holyday, who cast the lone vote against the effort, stressed that the city faces annual deficits. He said it has to focus on its priorities like transit and shouldn’t take on the additional expense of operating the science centre.
“If we have any precious dollars, they need to go to city objectives first,” he said. “I can’t support a motion like this that goes down that path.”
But Coun. Josh Matlow said the report back from staff in July will be a “reality check” that allows the city to have a better understanding of the province’s business case for closing the science centre and what it would take for the city to run it.
“It’s important that if (the province) is going to abandon the science centre and the community, that the City of Toronto takes a stand,” he said.
Council has also approved a plan for Coun. Jon Burnside to meet with residents who live near the science centre in Flemingdon Park and Thorncliffe Park and consult them about maintaining science programing at the site.
Burnside said he’s hopeful that the Ford government will change direction. The community is upset by the provincial decision and are voicing that to him, he added.
“I think it’s not only the city, it’s actually the citizens of the city, who are doing a heck of a job putting pressure on the government,” he said.