Allison Jones and Liam Casey, The Canadian Press

TORONTO — Ontario has not made any decisions on a temporary science centre while a new one is being built at Ontario Place, the infrastructure minister said Tuesday, despite previously indicating one would be operating by Jan. 1, 2026.

The future of two science centre pop-up exhibits in Toronto has also not been decided, said Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma.

"We have an opportunity to make sure that we bring the exhibits across Ontario," Surma said.

"There are many municipalities and organizations that have put up their hand and reached out to government saying they would like the exhibits to come to them."

Surma said the Ontario Science Centre is evaluating its options.

The province abruptly closed the science centre a year ago, saying the roof needed urgent repairs – a claim workers and critics do not agree with.

Soon after the closure, the government issued a request for proposals for a temporary location to operate until the Ontario Place site opens. It said it was working “expeditiously” to find an interim site and wanted it to open no later than Jan. 1, 2026.

But now, Surma says the science centre is "looking at what programming will look like" and no decisions have been made on the pop-ups or a more permanent site in the meantime.

The science centre union, Local 549 of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, recently said management told them plans for a temporary location had been paused and did not say what the future holds for an interim location.

Workers recently told The Canadian Press they've dealt with a rodent and raccoon infestation at a building where science centre materials are stored, and the department that builds exhibits is at a virtual standstill.

Surma's comments came at a press conference where Premier Doug Ford unveiled final designs for the revamped Ontario Place.

It will include a five-storey parking garage that will cost taxpayers $400 million. But it will have a great return on investment from parking fees, Ford said.

"We are going to see revenues at minimum of $60 million (annually)," he said.

Late last year, Ontario's auditor general found the cost of the new science centre had shot up to $1.4 billion, more than the $1.3 billion estimated to maintain the centre's east Toronto location.

As of February 2024, Infrastructure Ontario projected the total cost of the Ontario Place redevelopment to be $2.2 billion, auditor general Shelley Spence said in her report.

The opening of the science centre at Ontario Place has already been pushed back from 2028 to 2029.

Neither Ford nor Surma would commit Tuesday to an opening date for the science centre or the rest of Ontario Place.

"Hopefully 2029," Ford said. "I'm just going to push it like crazy, make sure we move faster, quicker, immediate, and get things moving along because I can't wait for this to open up."

(C) The Canadian Press