Ontario Science Centre says summer camp refunds coming this week

The Ontario Science Centre says it's refunding families who registered children for summer camps this weekand an alternative camp will be provided,following the forced closure of the centre by the province on June 21.

In a statement on its website, the centre asked its community members to be "patient with us as we work to process refunds."

The process is "underway" to refund memberships, said Laura Berkenblit, a spokesperson for the centre in a statement to CBC Toronto, adding that ticket-holders were already refunded.

Toronto resident Katarina Gligorijevichas an annual Planetary Membership for her family valued at $175. She said she would gladly donate her membership fee to the science centre, as suggested in an email from the agency that CBC Toronto reviewed. But she said the email she received didn't have details.

"I would like more details about what exactly the plan is for use of those funds," Gligorijevic said.

"It doesn't really say how long the whole thing will take or when it will be completed or how to go aboutsaying, 'Yes, I want the refund' or 'No, I want to donate.' None of those details were in the email," she said.

When CBC Toronto asked for more information, a spokesperson said redirected refunds would go back to the science centre to support future programming.

She said members must contact the science centre to indicate whether they wanted to donate. If they don't, then the agency will give them a refund.

The Ontario Science Centre was abruptly closed on June 21 by the Ministry of Infrastructure after it announced that parts of the building's roof needed to undergo construction due to deterioration.

Gligorijevic said her eight-year-old Sasha loves the science centre and was angry when he heard it was closing, especially right before summer vacation.

"We can go to the ROM or the AGO or even the aquarium or things like that, but there is no other place that is as interactive and as engaging for children as the science centre," she said.

Science programming crucial for kids: physicist

The science centre said in its announcement that it would "provide an alternate camp for free to registered families in a nearby location."

It told CBC Toronto that parents have been notified about camp details and that these camps will be focused on science education.

WATCH | A deep dive into the engineering report that led to the science centre's closure

Heres what the Ontario Science Centre engineering reports found

3 months ago

Duration 2:57

Questions have swirled for the past week about why the Ontario Science Centre was suddenly and permanently closed on June 21. But four engineers and architects told CBCs Bobby Hristova that what's been said about the reports, and what's in the reports, don't match and closing the building could've been avoided.

Joanne O'Meara, the co-founder of Royal City Centre, a non-profit that hosts STEM pop-up events in hopes of laying the groundwork for a future science centre in Guelph, said the impact of losing the Ontario Science Centre's regular summer programming will be wide-reaching.

"About a quarter of all of the jobs in Ontario, require STEM, science, technology, engineering and mathematics-type skills," she said.

"The projections are for significant growth in that sector. We need to be giving our kids the opportunity to explore those fields, when they're young, when they're engaged, when they're curious," she said.

O'Meara said she developed her passion for science at the Ontario Science Centre as a kid when she lived in Toronto. Today, she's a physicist at the University of Guelph.

"I pestered my parents to take me to the Ontario Science Centre as often as I could. It was such a wonderful place to have access to, to be able to explore and play and learn," she said.

Her advice to parents is to seek out STEM-based organizations that have programming at community centres or libraries and to encourage kids to stay curious.

"The main thing is just let them play. I know it's messy. Let them muck around in the kitchen and and see what happens. And don't be afraid, to say you don't know if they ask you a question...you can dig into it together," she said.