TORONTO, May 25, 2026 – The Ontario government announced on May 25 that construction has officially begun on the new Ontario Science Centre at Ontario Place. The province said the new facility is expected to open in 2029 and will span about 400,000 square feet. As part of the Ontario Place redevelopment plan, it will provide exhibition and education spaces related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics. For newcomer families, low-income households and families without cars in Scarborough, North York and East York, the new construction means future public science education facilities will shift toward the west side of downtown. But before the new centre opens, parents still need to check transitional resources, temporary exhibition locations, ticket prices and transportation costs after the closure of the original Science Centre.
The Ontario Science Centre was previously located in Toronto’s east end and was a familiar public science education site for many schools and families. The province said the new facility will include a main building, exhibition space inside Ontario Place’s iconic pavilion, and learning areas for students and the public. The start of construction is part of the province’s broader Ontario Place redevelopment plan. But for east-end residents, the key concern is not only when the new building will be completed, but whether children can still access science education resources conveniently and affordably over the next few years.
At present, the Ontario Science Centre continues to offer some interactive experiences through temporary locations and community activities. According to the Science Centre’s website, the children’s interactive experience KidSpark has opened at Harbourfront Centre for children aged 10 and under. The location is on Toronto’s downtown waterfront, with admission priced at $15, while children aged two and under can enter for free. The Science Centre has also said it will bring science experiences to different communities through pop-up events and student-related activities.
For low-income families and families without cars, the biggest pressure during the transition period may come from transportation and time. Parents living in Scarborough, North York or East York may face longer travel times, public transit transfers or additional pickup and drop-off arrangements if they want to bring children to the temporary waterfront location. If school visits decrease, the cost for families to find science activities on their own may also increase. Newcomer parents unfamiliar with the public cultural facility system may not know where temporary exhibits are located, whether tickets need to be purchased in advance, or whether activities are suitable for children of different ages.
It is important to note that the start of construction does not mean Science Centre services have returned to normal. Before the new facility opens in 2029, it remains to be seen which exhibitions will continue at temporary locations, whether new community pop-up events will be added, how school group visits will be arranged, and whether low-income families will have access to ticket support or free programs. Parents should not assume that current visit options have already returned to previous levels simply because construction has begun.
A realistic situation is that east-end parents may want to take their children to a science activity on the weekend, only to find that the temporary location is farther away, that tickets and transportation together exceed their budget, or that the activity is not suitable for their child’s age group. For these families, checking opening hours, ticket prices, age limits, public transit routes and free community activities in advance is more important than deciding at the last minute.
In the coming years, east-end families, schools and community organizations will still need to watch how science education resources are handled during the transition. Parents can regularly check the Ontario Science Centre’s temporary exhibitions, community pop-up events and educational resources. Schools and community groups can also watch for student group arrangements. For families without cars, with limited income or with barriers to English-language information, the key is not only to wait for the new facility to open, but to find affordable and accessible science learning options during the transition period.（LJI by Yuanyuan）
