THUNDER BAY — Officials with Science North say an eight-figure funding commitment from the federal government will kickstart the organization’s own fundraising efforts for a new science centre in Thunder Bay.
Thunder Bay-Superior North MP Patty Hajdu, along with representatives of Science North, were on hand Wednesday to announce $20 million towards the planned facility to be built on the city’s waterfront.
“This is the first really significant capital investment in bringing this vision to life,” said Science North CEO Ashley Larose.
“We have been imagining and envisioning a science centre in Thunder Bay since 2017, and we've done all of the groundwork to create what this could be, and to have the federal government step in at $20 million for us really is a dream come true.”
Larose said there’s been a lot of work going on behind the scenes over the years “to build confidence in the community,” about the project. Science North — an arms-length provincial agency and registered charity — has operated a science centre in Sudbury since 1984. It has had a presence in Thunder Bay for years, establishing a satellite base here in 2010.
“We've really taken our time, made sure that our plans are really solid and so now we get to go and really kick off our capital fundraising to bring this thing to Thunder Bay,” Larose continued, adding that they intend to break ground in spring 2027.
“We have the best team and an incredible community behind us, wonderful collaboration from all our partners here in Thunder Bay, so we’re very confident in that date.”
Larose said she couldn’t say how much the organization will need to raise — although she did say they’ll be looking to all levels of government and the private sector — as they’re still finishing up the project development phase, meaning final designs aren’t yet complete. A number will be coming “really soon,” she added.
As for a specific site on the waterfront where the centre would go, Larose said they have “just been able to finalize which site would be the ideal one for us,” but it’s “not confirmed on paper.”
“With great collaboration from the city, we’re well on our way.”
What is certain, is that the new science centre will be on the city’s north-side waterfront. Hajdu said it’s the latest in a long list of projects that continue to revitalize the area since redevelopment talks began in earnest in the 2000s.
“What a fantastic opportunity to expand our footprint and use our waterfront in a way that not only gives our community members something to celebrate and a place to gather,” she said.
“But also attracts people to Thunder Bay and keeps those newcomers that we desperately need as we continue to grow our community,” she said, while praising city councils under mayor Lynn Peterson for committing to “reclaiming the waterfront for people and for gatherings.”
The centre is expected to be a net-zero building, conforming to national zero-carbon building standards, according to the federal government’s media release. It will be heated and cooled through geothermal power from Lake Superior and use timber frame construction.
The money will come from Ottawa’s Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program under the auspices of the Ministry of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities. Minister Nate Erskine-Smith said it is one of only a small handful of projects across Canada getting this level of funding, which is the maximum being approved in this round.
"I remember visiting Science North as a kid and having a tarantula crawl all over my hand, so you can, in some ways, thank the tarantula for the 20 million dollars," he said.
"But in all seriousness ... I've seen it firsthand as a kid, I've seen it with my own kids visiting the Science Centre here in Toronto, that the programming that (science centres) provide — the opportunities they provide for kids to learn and to get engaged in science is an incredibly important thing, and we've got to invest in that at every opportunity."
The release said it expects to provide a variety of accessible programming for 67,500 people annually, offering “high-quality cultural, recreational and science-based experiences.”
Larose said it's a "transformational project for this region," and the planned building “really shows the philosophy of this organization to really educate people about science on all levels.”
