Unions, supporters take to Ontario Science Centre in protest of plans to move building
CBC
Supporters and representatives from several unions took to the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto on Saturday to protest proposed plans to move the iconic provincial property to Ontario Place grounds.
The organizer of the event, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/SEFPO), argues relocating the centre would put "hundreds" of jobs at stake.
"They did it with zero community consultation, zero consultation with the workers themselves, and with zero idea of what the impact will actually be on this community and on Toronto generally," said JP Hornick, president of the union.
"This is not what Torontonians want."
Under the Doug Ford government's plan to revamp Ontario Place, the current Science Centre building at the corner of Eglinton Avenue East and Don Mills Road in northeast Toronto would eventually be demolished and replaced with housing.
The province says the Science Centre building was first opened in 1969 and is in need of repairs, and will be cheaper to relocate and demolish rather than fix.
The union argues the centre benefits from its current location, citing its accessibility by public transit and highways, its use as a community hub for locals in the area, and its history "inspiring" the more than 220,000 school children and families who visit yearly.
Martin Fischer is the second vice president of OPSEU Local 549, which represents about 400 of the Ontario Science Centre workers. He says if the Science Centre were to move, workers would lose the precious space they need to create their world-renowned exhibits.
"We would like to know what's the plan? What's going to happen to all of these jobs, and what's going to happen to the role that the Science Centre has in the world?" said Fischer.
The rally takes place as an informal mayoral debate took place at Ontario Place — a site that itself is undergoing a controversial redevelopment process.
Some mayoral candidates debated how they will navigate the province's plans to develop the tourist attraction into an indoor water park and spa complex, a revamped concert venue and an "adventure park."
CBC is once again looking to make the holiday season kind in Windsor-Essex.
Acute Care Alberta has extended its contract for another year with a private surgical facility at the centre of probes into health procurement and contracting.
As food bank use continues to climb across the province, front-line workers in Thunder Bay, Ont., are working to improve both food security and education.
More ads could soon be coming to Toronto’s subway system.
The driver wanted in connection with a fatal hit and run on Highway 401 earlier this week has been identified, police say.
There are mixed feelings about the proposed Grays Bay road and port project, among people who live in nearby communities.
WARNING: This story details allegations of child abuse and includes graphic content.
Provincial police in Lambton County have charged a 23-year-old man with second degree murder following a death investigation that began this past Saturday.
The Newfoundland and Labrador government is forming a working group to tackle what it calls systemic issues in the justice system, but answers or solutions could still be months away.
A woman has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death in a 2024 fatal hit and run in Truro, N.S., where the victim was dragged down the street, a case that went unsolved for more than six months.
A stream of people showing up to a brightly lit front porch, each holding up a bottle of wine, spirits, or beer.
Sona Lakhoyan Olivier has been excluded from Quebec’s Liberal caucus for the duration of an investigation led by the National Assembly’s ethics commissioner, the party announced Thursday.
The head of the William Whyte Neighbourhood Association hopes a city plan to crack down on vacant properties leads to a transformation in his community.