It is not often that premier Doug Ford makes a decision that pleases some of the people in Ontario. I figured it was just a typical Doug decision because he had to. It was probably the last thing someone in his offices suggested, so he went with it. He is moving the Ontario Science Centre. And it is not lock, stock and barrel. No, he is moving it to Ontario Place, because nobody liked any of his ideas for Ontario Place.
Ontario Place is some artificial islands that were built in Lake Ontario just off the shore at the Canadian National Exhibition grounds and its amusement park. It was the delight of our children and even some of adults as it had a water park for summer fun and a huge movie theatre in a geodesic dome with an Imax screen.
You can just imagine all the thoughts running through premier Ford’s brain while making this decision. A: Nobody liked any of his ideas for Ontario Place. B: Everybody liked the Ontario Science Centre. It was a place that our children liked and it helped encourage them to like science.
This decision ignored a small problem. He had already signed off on a deal for a foreign-owned luxury health spa to be built on the west island of Ontario Place. This is such a big spa that they want to dig down in the island so the luxury customers can park their luxury automobiles under the spa. This spa would leave less room for the new science centre. Ontario would be lucky to get a half-size science centre.
I had watched when the first part of the Ontario Science Centre was built. It is by a river valley that tends to flood. And that is why the science centre does not go to the bottom of the valley. It is not as buildable or as big a parcel of land as it looks. Doug Ford calls the old science centre structure a tear down.
But it needs more space than is available at Ontario Place. It should also be more central to the city with lots of parking for the buses that bring the school children.
I will cheerfully admit that the previous liberal government dithered for years about what to do about Ontario Place. I believe Mr. Ford should have continued to dither.
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Copyright 2023 © Peter Lowry
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