Planetarium, rainforest on Ontario Science Centre's wish list for new site

A large planetarium and an outdoor adventure park are among a variety of features the Ontario Science Centre would like to see in a new location at Ontario Place - though there is not currently enough space with the new building's much smaller footprint.

Infrastructure Ontario released a “business case” Wednesday that the government is using to justify moving the science centre from its current east Toronto location to the downtown Ontario Place.

The analysis says moving the attraction rather than renovating the existing site would save the province about $250 million over 50 years, largely because the new building would be about half the size of the current space.

The business case says the approximately 275,000-square-foot size of the planned new building at Ontario Place is the “smallest possible” size to contain all core programming identified by the Ontario Science Centre.

Within the appendices of the business case is a wish list of sorts from the Ontario Science Centre of features it says are “core” to the visitor experience and should be considered for inclusion at the new site.

Those features include a large immersive experience - there isn't currently room in the plan for an exhibit such as the present site's rainforest area - an outdoor adventure playground, and a planetarium.

This report by the Canadian Press was first published Nov. 30, 2023.