TORONTO, June 21,
2024 /CNW/ - The Ford government's closure of the
Ontario Science Centre to the public today after years of
underfunding, deferred maintenance and neglect was completely
avoidable.
"This is part of an ongoing pattern with Doug Ford," said OPSEU/SEFPO President JP
Hornick. "Because of his government's lack of care and neglect, the
public services and institutions we cherish – like the Ontario
Science Centre – are crumbling. And now our kids are going to
suffer for it."
The impact of the immediate closure of the Ontario Science
Centre on children and families weighs heavily on OPSEU/SEFPO Local
549 members, who have dedicated their careers to instilling a love
of science and learning in children across Ontario, and in the
neighbouring communities around the Science Centre. The government
has informed employees that operations will shift to focusing on
the closure of the facility.
"I have spent the afternoon with our members today," continued
Hornick. "Not only are they worried about their own jobs over the
long term – they're worried about what closing the Science Centre
immediately will mean for the children who were signed up for
summer camps, and school and family trips. They're worried about
the impact of closing this community anchor for Flemingdon Park and
Thorncliffe Park, and leaving the people who live in these
communities behind."
Instead of investing $5 million
per year over fifty years on maintaining Ontario's historic,
world-class, custom-built Science Centre building in Don Mills, where it is easier for families and
school buses to access and has all the space needed for its
operations than the smaller Ontario Place site, the Ford government
has prioritized spending four times that amount in a single year –
up to a billion dollars – in order to fast-track the expansion of
privatized alcohol sales.
"These are the choices that this government continues to make,"
said Hornick. "Doug Ford is
prioritizing booze over what's best for our children. OPSEU/SEFPO
calls on the Ford government to invest in our kids and communities
instead, fix the Ontario Science Centre building and keep it where
it is."
SOURCE Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/SEFPO)