Poll: Most oppose closing Science Center

This week, the Ontario Science Center looked a bit like a fortress or the temporary detention facilities that popped up in Toronto during the 2010 G20 conference.

Guards let cars in and out through a new wire gate. Outside, a small group of activists waits to chat with passing journalists.

On the wall of the building, a banner advertised a documentary about sea turtles at Cinesphere: “Follow the daily life of a beautiful sea turtle named Bungee and all her biggest obstacles.”

Anyone who wanted to learn about Bungee, however, faced obstacles of their own, in the form of a sturdy new fence and a series of no-treading signs.

What are the rights and wrongs of the abrupt closing of the Science Center last Friday afternoon? As always, it depends on who you ask.

Speaking on behalf of the provincial government, Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma highlighted problems with the building’s roof, which an engineering report said needed to be fixed before winter.

“We have to remember that this was a warning, a health and safety warning, and as a representative of the government I have to take that seriously,” she said.

Others, working from the engineering report, argued that the closure was exaggerated.

“(The report) suggests that key exhibition areas of the building could continue to operate safely for years to come — even if the Ontario government chooses not to invest in any structural repairs to the roof this year,” Elsa Lam wrote in Canadian architect.

This week, in an online poll, we asked you what you think. Just over two-thirds of you disagreed with the decision.

Interestingly, given the location of the Science Center in Toronto, there is no clear regional division of opinion:

And, unusually for our polls, no very strong or clear age divisions:

Not surprisingly, there is a strong divide based on the original decision to move the Science Center to a smaller site on Toronto’s waterfront:

People who are open to buying electric vehicles opposed the shutdown more strongly than those who are not:

Not surprisingly, there is a very strong partisan divide on this issue. It’s worth noting, however, that about half of PC voters disagree with the decision.

Women object much more strongly than men:

University graduates and people with a community college or professional background have similar views, but people with a high school education or less were less inclined to oppose the decision;

And people who said they would prefer a cold but interesting winter to a mild one were more likely to say the province made the wrong call: