Ontario Science Centre survives severe rainstorm despite fears over roof

A torrential downpour that swept crossed Toronto this week, overwhelming municipal and provincial infrastructure, wasn’t capable to buckle nan tile of nan Ontario Science Centre, contempt warnings astir nan effect of dense rain.

The Ford authorities abruptly unopen down visitant entree to nan celebrated tourer destination aft an engineering study recovered respective tile panels were astatine consequence of nonaccomplishment nether nan correct upwind conditions requiring contiguous replacement.

The authorities opted to hunt for a impermanent location for nan subject centre’s programming alternatively than spending an estimated $500 cardinal to repair nan existing structure.

But, while nan engineering study suggested that “significant snowfall aliases rainfall loading” events could overwhelm nan aging roofing panels starring to an “increased consequence of abrupt collapse,” Ontario’s curate of infrastructure told Global News connected Thursday that nan tile had remained intact.

“Nothing happened, convey goodness, this time,” Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma told Global News up of a furniture meeting. “But we person unit location monitoring everything.”

Asked whether nan storm, which dumped 97 mm of rainfall successful immoderate parts of Toronto including 26 mm successful 10 minutes, was a trial of nan subject centre’s integrity, Surma said: “It was.”

Critics mobility whether nan truth nan tile was not breached casts uncertainty complete why nan installation was closed successful nan first place.

“This was a record-breaking rainfall successful Toronto, location was flooding everywhere,” said NDP MPP Chris Glover. “The subject centre tile held up.”

Global News asked Surma, arsenic good arsenic Premier Doug Ford, whether nan deficiency of structural harm is grounds that nan subject centre is safe for visitors.

“No, because we put mitigations successful spot successful bid to show nan h2o levels and nan removal of nan water, but it is besides nan snowfall and nan weight of nan snowfall successful nan wintertime which is why it had to beryllium decommissioned earlier Oct. 31st,” Surma said.

Premier Ford insisted connected Thursday that “at immoderate fixed clip nan tile could collapse” and claimed 2 engineering firms person wished nan subject centre is an “absolute mess.”

“I’m not chancing it, I’m not putting kids successful there,” Ford said.

Critics claim, however, that nan Ford authorities is exaggerating its appraisal of nan subject centre to warrant nan building of a caller installation connected nan Ontario Place grounds.

“The engineering study says there’s 1 mini conception of nan tile that needs to beryllium repaired aliases replaced by nan extremity of October,” Glover said. “The remainder of it, you know, tin beryllium done complete nan adjacent 20 years.”

Ontario Liberal MPP Mary Margaret McMahon had a much blunt demand.

“Open nan bloody point up, correct here, correct now,” McMahon said. “There’s nary logic for it to beryllium closed.”