Science centre staff to host activities at Toronto Zoo and the CNE this week

A general view of the Ontario Science Centre is shown in Toronto, Friday, May 5, 2023. The Ontario Science Centre says it will deploy teams at locations and events across the city this week, including the Toronto Zoo and the Canadian National Exhibition. (The Canadian Press/Chris Young)

The Ontario Science Centre says it will deploy teams at locations and events across the city this week, including the Toronto Zoo and the Canadian National Exhibition.

It says a team will be at the Toronto Zoo on Thursday to celebrate the institution's 50th anniversary, and will be on hand for all 18 days of the CNE starting Friday.

Both pop-ups will feature demonstrations on static electricity with the hair-raising Van de Graaff generator.

The programming comes nearly two months after the Ontario government announced that the centre would immediately and permanently close after engineers found structural issues with the roof.

The move sparked an outcry among local residents, science enthusiasts and the architectural firm that designed the building, among others.

The government was already planning to relocate the science centre to the redeveloped waterfront Ontario Place attraction, but that new facility is not slated to open until 2028.

The Ontario Science Centre says it plans to host other educational programming and hands-on activities in the future, with locations and dates to be announced.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 14, 2024.