Ontario Science Centre

And finally, a once-popular Toronto attraction has been going through some tough changes recently.

Now the Ontario Science Centre appears poised to be doing away with the science part of its raison d'être.

The Canadian Press learning that the center's CEO, Paul Courtenay, told employees during a meeting yesterday that the entire science department is being let go during a period of restructuring, with new roles expected to open up in the future.

This is The Canadian Press.

Thank you.

Walter Stoddard was a senior scientist at the Ontario Science Centre and the chief steward of the center's staff union, Local 549.

He's in Toronto.

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Any of these incidents makes our safety even stronger by revealing to us where, ultimately, it could be." And let's move on to our next front page, uh, story.

More news from the GTA, and it has the headline, "The Ontario Science Centre will have no science department as layoffs and restructuring are announced." And this story was updated today, and it was written by Nicholas Keung, senior immigration reporter.

When the beloved Ontario Science Centre opens at its new site on Toronto's waterfront, there won't be a science department.

On Thursday, CEO Paul Kortenaar told employees at a meeting that the science center, which was abruptly shut down by the province in twenty twenty-four, is being restructured and is eliminating the live exhibits and science department, the business development department, and security.

Thirty people are being let go, including seven staff in the science unit.

The notices of layoff are expected to be issued on September twenty-first, said Ontario Public Service Employees Union, which represents the center's one hundred and sixty-six unionized employees.

"How can you have an Ontario Science Centre with no science unit?" said Raluca Ellis, president of OPSEU Local five forty-nine.

With these job cuts, over five hundred and forty years of combined service would be eliminated.

And when we come back...

You may have heard Jim Richards yesterday talking about the Ontario Science Centre.

A laid off 30 workers.

The union says this is out of control.

Let me tell you why.

You may have heard about this yesterday on the Jim Richards show, and we talked about it a little bit this morning on the morning brief when I joined John Moore this morning.

OPSU has put out a press release that has got people so up in arms about a reduction in employees at the Ontario Science Centre.

Now, here are the facts.

Let's move to present day.

And we have the Ontario Science Centre apparently laying off their scientists, which, as some people said, is kind of like if the orchestra fired all their musicians.

Lindsay Broadhead, it just seems that there has been almost a systematic effort to undo the Science Centre.

Yeah, and look, I'm biased, right? I come here with a communications lens on always, and this seems just like a bit of a communications gap or error that happened in a rather noted way.

But you're right, there's been this chiseling away of the Science Center.

but our premier has promised that it's going to be something great.

So I don't know if this is just a middling period and the 30 scientists aren't required, but surely this could have been communicated in a way that reiterates the need for science, the central role science will indeed play, and hopefully how the Science Center will actually ramp up what science is going to do for our students and our businesses in the province.

It's a bit of a gap that needs to get filled tootsweet.

And he, in some people's eyes, yesterday actually got promoted.

Number three, the Ontario Science Centre has laid off 30 workers, including the entire science department.

A tourist attraction? doesn't need scientists.

You know, you need people that want to put on a Minnie Mouse costume and lead kids around by the hand.

But this is the time that we're in.

And as the prime minister says, we have to sort of do what we can with what we have and keep trying to make the best of this.

The Ontario Science Centre has apparently laid off all of their scientists.

Vas Bednar, let me come back to you.

Number two, Premier Doug Ford is making several changes to his cabinet.

Number three, the Ontario Science Centre has laid off 30 workers, including the entire science department.

Number four, Mark Carney says he has spoken with Donald Trump and Canada is ready to strike a fair trade deal.

And number five, Toronto mayoral candidate Chris Alexander insists he has no intention of dropping out of the race.

And this idea that all of the scientists are gone is just spin, John.

I mean, every department of the Science Centre would have its own expert scientific researchers or scientists or whatever the case might be, depending on the department.

Those will still exist because there's still a ton of staff working for the Ontario Science Centre in its new environment.

incredibly reduced form on the interim basis until the new one opens.

Do we know categorically that—I mean, I thought that the Ford government was like, hey, guys, don't worry.

We're going to have these interim Ontario Science Centre.

They're going to be fantastic.

Nobody's going to lose their job because I was hearing earlier today, of course they downsized.