Ontario Science Centre closes, 30 workers laid off amid roof safety concerns The Ontario Science Centre has terminated 30 staff, including its entire science department, after engineers identified roof deficiencies. The province is closing the current facility and building a new $1‑billion centre at Ontario Place. Renderings for the new Ontario Science Centre are shown behind Ontario Premier Doug Ford as he speaks to media at the construction site of the future science centre at Ontario Place in Toronto, on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026. The Canadian Press/Sammy Kogan TORONTO -- The Ontario Science Centre has laid off 30 workers including the entire science department, as the organisation entered a major restructuring. Science centre CEO Paul Kortenaar told employees at a meeting today that the organization is being restructured. The science centre is eliminating the live exhibits and science department, the business development department and security.Earlier in the year, the province abruptly closed the science centre in east Toronto in the summer of 2024 after an engineering report found deficiencies with the roof. The report cited structural concerns that were not apparent during the building's initial inspections. Critics have questioned the necessity of the closure, noting that the roof has withstood record snowfall and rainfall in the past two years.The closure of the current facility followed the discovery of roof problems in May 2023, after engineers had a general view of the building and found significant weight‑bearing concerns. Workers were required to vacate the building by midday on Oct. 31, 2023, after a furious few months of packing up. Numerous truckloads of exhibits and equipment were moved to storage facilities in various locations.The new arrangement will see the closure of the current site by the end of the day on Friday, Sept. 10, 2026, as the building is being prepared for demolition and a new development. The government is building a new $1‑billion science centre at Ontario Place, which will incorporate modern learning spaces, interactive displays and a redesigned roof that addresses the previous structural issues.Kortenaar says he expects new roles to open up in the future, as the organisation transitions to the new facility. He emphasised that the restructuring, though difficult, will ultimately allow the science centre to continue providing educational experiences to Canadians. The decision to close the current centre has sparked debate among community members and science educators.Some argue that the roof's proven resilience shows the assessment may have been overly cautious, while others support the move as a proactive step to ensure safety. The new centre at Ontario Place is slated to open in 2029, after extensive renovations and the construction of a state‑of‑the‑art roof system that meets all modern safety standards.The project, which has a budget of $1 billion, is part of the province's broader plan to invest in educational infrastructure and preserve heritage sites in the city. The Canadian Press first published this report on Sept. 10, 2026.