Hi everyone,

By now you've likely heard the heartbreaking news about the province's sudden closure of the Ontario Science Centre on Friday June 21. 

Engineering reports commissioned by the province identified deteriorating concrete panels in the OSC's roof that needed repairs. The province, whose years of neglect have created the OSC's maintenance backlog, said that these issues required an immediate safety-related closure of the entire site.

Architects have confirmed that this isn't true. The buildings weren't deemed unsafe - the high risk and critical panels represent less than 2.5% of the entire roof, and most exhibit spaces would be unaffected by repair work. It's clear that the province is using this report as an opportunity to push ahead their flawed business case for moving the OSC to Ontario Place, without regard for the impact it will have on summer camps, school groups, local families and the broader community.

But there's also good news.

This shocking development has reinvigorated community support for keeping the OSC on its current site, and media attention has surged. The Ontario opposition party leaders are urging the province to reverse the decision and reopen the site. A variety of private donors and tech investors are offering to help foot the bill for repairs. And today, Toronto Councillor Josh Matlow introduced a motion to explore what it would take for the city to take over operations of the OSC.

Our petition to save the OSC has also continued to grow, with more than 22,000 signatures to date, and I'm so honoured by your support. 

So what else can we do now?

• Continue to share and promote the petition on your socials. There are buttons on the petition page that help you to easily share it on Facebook, X/Twitter, WhatsApp, or via text messages or email.
• Let your local representatives know how you feel. You can reach most elected officials through social media, email or phone. If you live in Toronto, you can find your local councillor's contact info here. If you live elsewhere in Ontario, you can find your MPP and their details here.
• Support and engage with other community groups. For example, Save OSC (@SaveOSC) holds rallies across the city, and their website lets you generate a letter to Premier Ford showing your support for maintaining and reopening the OSC at its current site.

The more we spread the word, the more that decision-makers will see how strongly we care about preserving our Ontario Science Centre for future generations.

Thanks again for supporting this cause.