Ontario Secures $1 Million for Scientific Hub Defense The province of Ontario has been allocated approximately $1 million to safeguard the transfer of the MaRS Discovery District’s scientific hub to a new location. This funding aims to ensure a seamless and effective relocation of the vital research and innovation center. The MaRS Discovery District is a renowned hub for innovation and scientific advancement, fostering collaborations between academia, industry, and government. The center is currently housed within the MaRS building in downtown Toronto. However, due to ongoing redevelopment plans for the area, the center is scheduled to be relocated to a new location in the city. The $1 million grant will be used to cover the costs associated with the transfer, including planning, site selection, and construction. The Ontario government recognizes the importance of maintaining the integrity and functionality of the center, which plays a crucial role in driving economic growth and technological innovation in the province. “This funding is an essential investment in Ontario’s future,” said Minister of Research, Innovation and Science Reza Moridi. “The MaRS Discovery District is a key driver of our knowledge economy, and we are committed to ensuring its continued success.” The relocation of the scientific hub is expected to take place over the next few years, with the new location expected to offer state-of-the-art facilities and enhance the center’s ability to foster scientific discoveries and commercialize innovative technologies. The funding announcement has been welcomed by the MaRS Discovery District leadership and the broader scientific community in Ontario. It is seen as a testament to the government’s commitment to supporting research and innovation, and to ensuring the province remains a leader in knowledge-based industries..

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Ontario+has+awarded+nearly+$1+million+in+contracts+to+several+companies+to+write+a+business+case+for+moving+the+Ontario+Science+Center+to+Ontario+Place+on+Toronto’s+waterfront,+The+Canadian+Press+has+learned.

The+$925,075+in+contracts,+an+amount+revealed+through+a+freedom+of+information+request,+is+a+fraction+of+the+province’s+total+$215+billion+budget.

But+it’s+still+too+big+for+a+report+that+seemed+designed+to+give+the+Progressive+Conservatives+cover+for+a+deal+with+European+company+Therme+to+build+a+privately+owned+spa+at+Ontario+Place+while+it+redevelops+the+waterfront+attraction,+critics+said.

“Spending+a+million+dollars+to+make+up+a+bogus+business+case+is+ridiculous+beyond+words,”+NDP+Leader+Marit+Stiles+wrote+in+a+statement.

“There+is+more+than+enough+evidence+that+the+business+case+was+nonsense+and+simply+a+justification+for+building+a+publicly+funded+mega+car+park+for+Therme.”

Liberal+critic+Adil+Shamji,+in+whose+district+the+science+center+is+located,+said+it+is+“scandalous”+that+Premier+Doug+Ford+spent+$1+million+of+public+money+on+consultants+“to+tell+him+what+he+wanted+to+hear.”

“Doug+Ford+was+always+going+to+find+a+way+to+move+forward+with+his+absurd+plan+to+relocate+the+Ontario+Science+Centre,”+Shamji+wrote+in+a+statement.

“Spending+a+million+dollars+of+taxpayer+money+on+consultants+was+just+a+way+to+make+their+business+case+look+more+legitimate.”

Green+Party+Leader+Mike+Schreiner+said+spending+so+much+on+the+business+case+doesn’t+make+sense.

“It’s+a+really+unjustifiable+expense+for+an+unjustifiable+decision+at+this+time,”+he+said.

Stiles,+Schreiner+and+many+others+have+been+fighting+Therme’s+water+park+and+spa+planned+for+Ontario+Place,+and+the+business+case+suggested+that+relocating+the+Ontario+Science+Center+there+from+its+current+location+in+east+Toronto+could+help+moderate+those+criticisms.

“Securing+a+publicly+owned+cultural+anchor,+such+as+the+CSO,+could+be+an+important+addition+to+counter+negative+perceptions+about+the+commercialization+and+privatization+of+this+unique+waterfront+public+asset,”+the+consultants+wrote+in+the+business+case.

A+December+report+from+the+auditor+general+found+that+a+proposal+presented+in+spring+2023+to+government+decision-makers+to+relocate+the+science+center,+including+the+business+case,+noted+that+a+“site-wide+parking+solution”+was+needed+to+comply+with+Ontario’s+lease+obligations+to+Terma.

He+proposed+that+the+new+parking+lot+be+integrated+with+the+new+science+center+building+“to+allay+public+and+stakeholder+concerns+related+to+cost+and+impact+on+the+environment,”+the+auditor+wrote.

The+business+case+itself+was+“incomplete”,+the+auditor+general+said,+including+failing+to+take+into+account+funding+or+incremental+parking+costs.

Ford+agreed+in+a+settlement+with+the+city+of+Toronto+this+year+to+consider+moving+the+parking+lot+to+nearby+Exhibition+Place,+but+no+decision+has+yet+been+made.

The+report+concluded+that+relocating+the+science+center+from+its+current+location+to+Ontario+Place+would+save+about+$250+million+over+50+years,+largely+because+the+new+building+will+be+half+the+size.

A+spokesperson+for+Infrastructure+Minister+Kinga+Surma+highlighted+the+projected+cost+savings+in+his+defense+of+the+business+case.

“The+cost+of+the+business+case+was+necessary+to+ensure+that+an+informed+decision+could+be+made+about+the+future+of+the+Ontario+Science+Center+and+was+undertaken+by+leading+experts+with+a+proven+track+record+of+work+in+the+industry,”+Ash+Milton+wrote+in+a+statement+.

The+2023+business+case+reached+the+same+financial+conclusion+as+a+business+case+completed+in+2016,+the+auditor+general+said.++At+the+time,+the+science+center’s+board+said+that+due+to+growing+capital+needs,+the+status+quo+was+not+an+option.++Instead,+it+proposed+rebuilding+on+its+current+site,+but+no+action+was+taken+on+any+of+the+options,+the+auditor+general+said.

The+current+science+center+building+faces+$369+million+in+critical+and+deferred+maintenance+needs+over+the+next+20+years,+according+to+the+business+case.

Lack+of+government+funding+is+one+of+the+main+causes+of+this,+the+auditor+said.

There+have+been+42+projects+deemed+“critical”+since+2017+that+have+not+been+fixed,+and+of+those+projects,+the+science+center+had+applied+for+funding+for+seven+of+them+at+least+three+times+in+the+last+five+years,+but+was+denied+each+time,+according+to+the+report.++the+auditor+wrote.

Infrastructure+Ontario+ordered+the+science+center+in+June+2022+to+close+a+pedestrian+bridge+connecting+the+main+entrance+to+the+exhibition+halls+after+the+bridge+was+deemed+unsafe.

The+business+case+said+repairing+the+bridge+would+cost+$16+million,+but+there+is+no+timeline+for+that.++When+asked+about+the+bridge,+the+infrastructure+minister’s+spokesperson+said+outside+engineersOntario has received almost $1 million to defend the transfer of the Scientific Centre for Ontarian Science and Research (SCOSR) to a private company. The money was provided by the provincial government to help the province fight a legal challenge launched by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU). OPSEU is arguing that the transfer of SCOSR to the private company, Caduceon Health, is illegal and will result in the loss of jobs and services. The province has defended the transfer, saying that it will save money and improve the efficiency of SCOSR. The legal challenge is scheduled to be heard in court in the coming months.