Ontario Place science centre has fans, foes
Re Science centre the cure for Ontario Place, Cohn, Jan. 31 Martin Regg Cohn’s suggestion to move the Ontario Science Centre to Ontario Place and, by implication, demolish the existing science centre building is sad, to say the least.
Cohn opines that the science centre is “an inefficient use of valuable provincially owned real estate,” which should be opened up for residential development. Really? Both the science centre and Ontario Place are site-specific architectural gems, in my opinion.
The reality is that Ontario Place is cut off from public transit and needs to be linked to the Exhibition streetcar loop and adjacent GO station for any repurposing to work.
And do you really want to subject all the busloads of students going to the science centre to the gridlock of the Gardiner and Lakeshore? Manfred Urchak, Oakville Martin Regg Cohn’s suggestion to move the science centre to Ontario Place is a great idea. This is the best proposed use of Ontario Place I have heard thus far.
There are a lot of good reasons to relocate the science centre to Ontario Place. At its current location, it does not serve the residents of the GTA very well. Many of us do not drive or have automobiles, and public transit to the remote science centre is difficult. It is also not easy for tourists to find.
I think that visitation and income through admission charges would greatly increase, diminishing the need for operational support from government agencies. I suspect that donations from individuals and corporations would also increase. Richard L. Reinert, Toronto I was briefly intrigued by the idea of a giant Ferris wheel at Ontario Place, until I learned that because of the island airport, its height could be only one third that of the London Eye.
However, I am thrilled with the suggestion that the science centre be moved to Ontario Place. I have not visited the science centre for ages, but I remember a vast, empty and unattractive area. What a difference it would make if I could combine my visit with a walk along Lake Ontario. It would also attract tourists, who could more easily include it on their itineraries with the CN Tower, Ripley’s Aquarium, the Roger’s Centre, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Royal Ontario Museum and the theatre district.
If our premier could sell the current science centre location to the highest bidder, rather than giving it away to some political friends, then I would even go for renaming Ontario Place “Premier Ford’s Place”! Angela H. Kochmann, Toronto