CP NewsAlert: Ontario Science Centre laying off entire science department

TORONTO — The Ontario Science Centre has laid off 30 workers including the entire science department, The Canadian Press has learned. Science centre CEO Paul Kortenaar told employees at a meeting Thursday that the organization is being restructured. The science centre is eliminating the live exhibits and science department, the business development department and security.

Kortenaar says he expects new roles to open up in the future. The union which represents the workers says they were informed on Thursday that the current 166 unionized employees would be reduced to 136 due to “organizational changes” including the elimination of the standalone Science Unit. According to union officials, only one staff member affected by the cuts has been offered alternative permanent employment within the public service.

“How can you have an Ontario Science Centre with no Science Unit?” said Raluca Ellis, President of OPSEU/SEFPO Local 549, representing workers at the OSC. “With these job cuts, over 540 years of combined service would be eliminated.” A spokesperson with the Ford government says the changes being made are geared towards delivering science learning experiences and new programming at the interim Harbourfront Centre and eventually the future location at Ontario Place. “To be clear, science programming, expertise and exhibits remain embedded across the entire organization.

There will be no change to the science programming and other learning experiences delivered by the OSC,” read a statement from the Ministry of Tourism sent to CityNews, which added that new roles will be available for some of the impacted individuals at the interim and permanent locations. “With these layoffs, the province appears to be repositioning the Ontario Science Centre as a vacation day trip for American tourists, not an educational destination Ontario’s children,” said Jason Ash, co-chair of the group Save Ontario’s Science Centre. “Without a science department, why is the province bothering to operate a science centre at all?” The province abruptly closed the science centre in east Toronto in the summer of 2024, citing an engineering report that found deficiencies with the roof.

Critics have questioned that given the roof has survived record snowfall and rainfall in the past two years. The government is building a new $1-billion science centre at Ontario Place.