Hi everyone,

Thank you so much for your support! We now have more than 18,400 signatures on this petition, and it continues to grow.

Today, Ontario's acting auditor general released a long-awaited report that reviews the province's business case for the relocation of the Ontario Science Centre. The AG's report lays out how the province created the maintenance backlog at the OSC by repeatedly refusing to pay for critical repairs:

• Over the past six years, 42 projects "deemed critical and at risk of failure" have not received funding. The OSC requested money for seven of these projects at least three times each, and was denied every time.
• Infrastructure Ontario has not yet completed a feasibility study for repairs to the pedestrian bridge. Replacement shuttle buses create ongoing costs for the OSC and discourage attendance and facility rentals.
• The OSC is home to Toronto's only remaining public planetarium, but it has been closed since September 2022 due to outstanding repairs and technical issues.

The auditor general's report also points out the many issues and inaccuracies in the province's relocation proposal for the OSC, and shows how the demands of private companies and developers are being put ahead of the best interests of the Ontario Science Centre and our community. Some examples include:

• The province's proposal to move the OSC to Ontario Place was, in part, intended to help justify the site-wide parking solution required under the lease signed by the province for the Therme spa development
• The province's proposal failed to include all the costs of relocation vs maintaining the OSC at its current site
• The new site would in fact provide 18% less space for exhibits
• There was no consultation with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority or with large local school boards, whose students make up about 25% of the OSC's visitors
• The relocation proposal did not mention concerns about expected attendance changes, travel times and car access to the new location
• The proposed new plan includes no facilities for constructing, selling and renting exhibits, which is currently a source of revenue for the OSC

Media attention around this report means that it's an ideal moment to gain more support for this petition and help to save the site we love. Would you help me get more signatures by continuing to share this petition on social media? Facebook groups, text messages, email, Discord and WhatsApp all work great. The more we spread the word, the more that decision-makers will see how strongly we care about preserving the Ontario Science Centre as an architectural and educational gem for future generations.

Thanks again for supporting this cause.