TORONTO — The Ontario government has awarded a $1.04-billion contract to design and build a new Ontario Science Centre at Ontario Place, with Premier Doug Ford calling the project “world class” and a key part of a broader redevelopment of Toronto’s waterfront.Speaking Thursday, Ford said the new facility will be a state-of-the-art, fully accessible science centre integrated with the Cinesphere and the site’s iconic pods, offering more exhibit space than the former building at 770 Don Mills Rd..The contract, valued at approximately $1.04 billion, includes a 30-year maintenance plan, Tourism, Culture and Gaming Minister Stan Cho said. He said the long-term maintenance component is intended to prevent the type of deterioration that affected the previous site.Cho said the new centre will total about 400,000 square feet, including roughly 220,000 square feet in the main facility and about 120,000 square feet of exhibit space. While smaller in overall footprint than the former 500,000-square-foot Don Mills building, Cho said the new design would provide a more efficient layout and larger dedicated exhibit areas.The government plans to break ground this spring, with an anticipated opening in 2029.The science centre is one element of a wider overhaul of Ontario Place, which the province says will include more than 50 acres of free public space, an upgraded marina, a redesigned year-round amphitheatre operated by Live Nation and a spa and water park operated by Therme Canada..Ford said the revitalized site is projected to attract up to six million visitors annually, support thousands of construction jobs and contribute hundreds of millions of dollars to Ontario’s GDP during construction.He also pointed to nearby transit expansions, including the Ontario Line and expanded GO service at Exhibition Station, as improving access to the site.During a question-and-answer session, reporters asked about the overall cost of the project, citing an estimate from the auditor general that the science centre relocation could cost up to $1.4 billion.Ford said the cost would be about $1 billion, while Cho clarified that the $1.04-billion figure includes design, construction and 30 years of maintenance.The premier defended the decision to permanently close the former Don Mills location, saying he would not risk reopening a building he described as unsafe. The province has previously cited engineering reports raising concerns about the roof structure..An interim Ontario Science Centre location is operating at Harbourfront Centre while construction proceeds at Ontario Place.Ford also addressed unrelated matters raised by reporters.On a Lindsay case in which charges against a homeowner accused of assaulting an alleged intruder were dropped, the premier said people have a right to defend themselves and their families. He criticized repeat bail for violent offenders and called for stricter consequences for home invasions.Asked about automated speed enforcement cameras in Toronto and calls at city hall for more traffic-calming measures, Ford criticized municipal officials who said certain infrastructure changes could take years to implement, arguing speed bumps and roundabouts can be built quickly.The premier also defended government advertising promoting Ontario Place, saying tourism generates roughly $33 billion annually and supports more than 325,000 jobs across the province..On the early closure of a Diageo bottling plant in Amherstburg, Ford said the province secured $23 million from the company and pledged support for affected workers, including efforts to attract new employers to the region.Throughout the event, Ford framed the science centre project as part of what he described as record infrastructure investments across Ontario, including transit, highways and energy projects.“This is going to be iconic,” he said. “We’re changing the face of Toronto’s waterfront.”The redevelopment of Ontario Place has drawn both support and opposition, with critics questioning costs and the use of public land. The government maintains the project will create jobs, increase tourism and provide new public amenities for future generations.
