Item - 2026.MM43.73

Councillor Josh Matlow, seconded by Councillor Jon Burnside, recommends that:

1. City Council receive the report “Reimagining the Future of the former Ontario Science Centre Public Consultation”, attached as Attachment 1 to this motion, for information.

This report presents the findings of a community engagement process undertaken in Spring 2026 to reimagine the future of the former Ontario Science Centre site at 770 Don Mills Road. Informed by this public feedback, the report puts forward a community-informed vision for the site's revitalization, re-opening, and return to public use. 

This report and engagement process has been led by Save Ontario’s Science Centre, Moriyama Teshima Architects, Councillor Josh Matlow, and Councillor Jon Burnside, and was carried out under the direction of motions approved by City Council including 2024.MM22.3.

In April 2023, the Provincial government announced its decision to relocate the Ontario Science Centre to the waterfront, and in June 2024 it abruptly closed the building. The province's own engineering consultants recommended repairing the building rather than closing it, and offers of professional and philanthropic support to fund the work followed. Despite several Council approved motions requesting provincial engagement on the site, the Province has yet to share details of its plans. 

The purpose of the community engagement was not to revisit the relocation decision or to evaluate specific redevelopment proposals. Rather, the process sought to identify the public values, priorities, and principles that should guide the future of this significant public asset, and to consider how its educational, environmental, cultural, architectural, and civic contributions can continue to serve communities across Toronto and Ontario.  

Any future plans for the site must be grounded in community priorities. The consultations therefore engaged the residents of Flemingdon Park and Thorncliffe Park directly, the communities closest to the site and most affected by its closure, along with residents from across Toronto, to hear their vision for a re-imagined 770 Don Mills Road. Key themes that emerged included continued public use of the site, multiple purposes including learning and discovery, access to the ravine and surrounding green space, the architectural significance of the building, and priorities for community and cultural programming. 

This attached report proposes next steps to help determine a sustainable future use of the site that ensures public benefit and access. It recommends that any process to determine the future use and vision for the site, including determining future governance and funding options, brings the province together with the City, federal government, community members, and institutional and philanthropic partners.

Critically, this will require the provincial government to engage on the future of the site in good faith. This report offers the province a positive, community-grounded starting point: a path forward shaped by residents, design professionals, and city-builders who share the goal of seeing this site thrive again.

The consultation findings ultimately demonstrate that 770 Don Mills Road is a significant public asset whose value lies in the intersection of learning, landscape, architecture, culture, and community. The message from participants is clear: the use of the site may change, but its public purpose should endure. The next chapter of 770 Don Mills Road should build on that legacy, creating a place where learning, discovery, and connection continue to shape Ontario's future.