The Ontario Science Centre is being packed up following its abrupt closure. Here is a look inside

Many of the exhibits at the Ontario Science Centre that captivated visitors until this summer are now being wrapped in plastic as the facility prepares for their move into storage.

CTV News has obtained photos showing some of the wrapped exhibits, as well as empty rooms and stacks of pallets, indicating that a major relocation is imminent. This comes about two months after the building was abruptly and controversially closed.

The destination for the exhibits' storage is not yet known, but at least one other science center has expressed interest in the artifacts’ future.

“Maintaining constant communication with museum industry stakeholders, the Montreal Science Centre’s exhibitions team has reached out to their counterparts at the Ontario Science Centre to inquire about the disposition of some of their artifacts, which is a common practice in the field,” said Steven Poitevin, spokesperson for the Old Port of Montreal.

The OSC was shut down with only hours of notice in June, following government claims that an engineering report identified unsafe conditions due to concrete roof panels.

However, it later emerged that the report offered alternatives to closure. Since then, other experts, including the firm that designed the building, have suggested that the roof could be repaired safely, with millions pledged for the effort by prominent scientists, businesspeople, and public figures.

The closure disrupted summer camps for children and canceled a program for 65 high school students who had planned to spend a semester learning at the Ontario Science Centre. The nearby Eglinton Line station named “Science Centre” will not be close to the proposed site for a new science centre at Ontario Place.

According to a request for proposals, the earliest a temporary location for the science centre could be operational is 2026, while the proposed waterfront site may not open to visitors until at least 2028.

Another challenge is that many of the exhibits were designed and built at the facility on Don Mills Road. The new location will lack the space needed for this fabrication, necessitating the search for both a temporary exhibit location and a separate fabrication facility, a search that is still ongoing.

Advocate Floyd Ruskin reported that over 84,000 people have sent letters to Premier Doug Ford urging the reversal of the closure.

“We have an election coming up, and the feedback we’re receiving at Save Ontario’s Science Centre is overwhelmingly in favor of keeping the Science Centre open and properly funded at Don Mills Road,” Ruskin said.

In a statement, a spokesperson from the infrastructure ministry noted that staff are still working in the building until they believe the roof tiles might become unstable under the weight of potential snowfall.

“OSC staff are currently cataloguing and removing all exhibits, artifacts, and science experiences from the building ahead of the October 31, 2024, deadline. Temporary storage locations for OSC program-related items are being reviewed and have not yet been confirmed. This process will ensure that the exhibits and artifacts are handled according to best practices and requirements to protect the legacy and history of the Science Centre.

“The Science Centre has been providing programming at pop-ups and community events this summer and will continue these efforts into the fall. We are also exploring new ways to engage with schools and offer satellite experiences,” the spokesperson said.