The engineer’s report relied on by the provincial government to justify the closure of the Ontario Science Centre in the name of safety gives other options to proceed that could still save the iconic venue.
The report suggested restricting access to part of the building where roof panels could give way, as well as installing temporary reinforcements to the panels as well as horizontal hoarding that could shield the panels.
“It seems to me that they had already come to the conclusion they wanted to close the building and the consultant’s report was a great justification for doing that,” he said. When pressed on why the report appeared to allow for options that didn’t require a complete building shutdown, Surma said the building would have to be closed for years for a complete roof repair.
The news was devastating to those who grew up visiting the Ontario Science Centre at its campus that stretched into the ravine off Don Mills Road in the Flemingdon Park neighbourhood. While closing the facility is one option identified in the report from engineering firm Rimkus, it’s only part of the top recommendation, which reads, “Restricted access or full closure to prevent any persons from walking in areas where high risk panels are present.”
The cost to repair them in the first year is under $8 million, the report says. To repair all of them would cost another $18.5 million until 2034, the report says. The first work should be completed by October 31 to avoid the increased load that could weigh on the panels from snowfall, the report said.
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