Toronto Lags Behind Other Canadian Cities in Children’s Spaces

Toronto has fewer dedicated educational spaces for children than other major Canadian cities, according to a CBC report that points to the loss of several longtime institutions and years of budget cuts. The original Ontario Science Centre has closed, and the city has also seen the disappearance of the Royal Ontario Museum’s McLaughlin Planetarium and the Children’s Own Museum. Experts say those losses have left Toronto with limited options for familyfocused learning compared with places such as Montreal, Vancouver, Winnipeg and Sudbury. Today, families can still find childoriented programming at sites like the Toronto Zoo, Ripley’s Aquarium, Riverdale Farm and some museums, but many of these visits can be expensive. The Ontario Science Centre is now operating from temporary locations while the province says a permanent new centre is planned for 2029 at Ontario Place.