The Government’s Business Case

Office of the Auditor General of Ontario Report

On December 6, 2023, the Office of the Auditor General of Ontario released its Value-for-Money Audit: Science Centres (2023), which included an evaluation of the relocation and the operation of the Ontario Science Centre.

The Auditor General’s Office concluded:
“Ontario Science Centre Relocation Decision Not Fully Informed and Made Without Needed Consultation or a Clear Plan for the Existing Site.”

Specifically:

• The 2023 cost/benefit analysis used to support the decision to relocate the Ontario Science Centre did not include all costs for both options assessed – relocation and the rehabilitation of the current site.
• The April 2023 relocation proposal to government decision-makers did not include concerns raised about expected attendance, travel times and car access to the Ontario Place location, especially for suburban families and certain school groups.
• Discussions with the City of Toronto before the decision was made to relocate were limited in any substance or detail and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and large school boards within the Greater Toronto Area directly impacted by the relocation were not consulted.
• Plans to continue to construct, sell and rent exhibits – legislated objects – remain uncertain with the relocation announcement.
• Current Ontario Science Centre lands considered for a Transit-Oriented Community since 2020.
• The decision to relocate the Ontario Science Centre was presented to government decision-makers as contributing to a site-wide parking solution integrated with the new building at Ontario Place.
• Deferred maintenance projects that were at risk of critical failure have been repeatedly denied funding.
• The cost of shuttling visitors as a result of the closure of the pedestrian bridge connecting the main entrance to the exhibition halls was $2.4 million in 2022/23 and has negatively impacted visitor experience.

You can read the Auditor General’s full report here.

THE GOVERNMENT’S BUSINESS CASE:
WHY WE ARE FIGHTING TO KEEP ONTARIO SCIENCE CENTRE AT ITS PRESENT LOCATION IN FLEMINGDON PARK

On Wednesday, November 29th, the Ontario Government released its business case for the relocation of the Ontario Science Centre to Ontario Place. Nearly eight months after it publicly announced its decision on April 18, 2023.

> Executive Summary
> Business Case
> Final Appendices (A to D)
> Final Appendices (E to J)
> Final Appendices (K to Q)

Save OSC released the following statement on social media, upon review of the government’s business case:

On December 5, 2023, the Save OSC Team released its own report, responding to the government’s business case, to elected representatives, journalists, and the manager of strategic communications and engagement in the Office of the Auditor General of Ontario.

In it, Save OSC stated our position that the Infrastructure Ontario business case for the Ontario Science Centre (OSC), publicly released on November 29, 2023, was not an independent analysis and was designed to advance the following political objectives of the Ontario Government:

1. Sell the public on a for-profit spa by relocating OSC to Ontario Place.
2. Make OSC’S Flemingdon property surplus to government needs to benefit developers.

You Can Read Our Report Here:
The Government’s Business Case for Relocating the Ontario Science Centre: Analysis and Critique. Why It Doesn’t Add Up.

Additionally, Elsa Lam of Canadian Architect has an excellent analysis of the math used by the province in its business case:
Debunking the “Business Case” for relocating the Ontario Science Centre

---