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After Toronto was battered by a record-breaking snowstorm at the end of January, the Ford government started getting questions.
One by one, journalists from the Queen’s Park Press Gallery began reaching out to the Ministry of Infrastructure to ask if the Ontario Science Centre had been damaged.
The storm dumped 50 cm of snow on Toronto in a single day, creating the exact risk cited when the science centre was abruptly closed two years earlier.
In June 2024, the Ford government gave the public only a few hours’ notice before shuttering the attraction indefinitely, citing structural issues with its roof.
“The report found that the building, which is more than 50 years old, is at risk of potential roof panel failure due to snow load as early as this winter,” a government news release said at the time.
Internal communications obtained by Global News show how staff tried to handle questions about whether or not the roof had survived.
They suggest technical answers from Infrastructure Ontario were overwritten by political staff, with the premier’s office ultimately deciding which limited morsels of information could be released.
A freedom of information request submitted by Global News returned 65 pages of emails.
Officials said another 44 pages of emails had been exchanged between political staff, but are now excluded from publication after the Ford government changed transparency laws to shield its staff and politicians from disclosure.
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The records that were released to Global News show how the Ministry of Infrastructure, and then Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s office, kept a tight leash on what officials were allowed to release.
“MOI will be reviewing and approving IO’s proposed response,” one official wrote, barely an hour after the first journalist reached out.
“Once we have a proposed draft, we will share with DMO for comfort/approval then with your team for MO/PO approval.”
IO is shorthand for the Crown agency Infrastructure Ontario, while PO is short for the premier’s office. MO is an abbreviation of the minister’s office, and DMO refers to the non-political deputy minister.
The documents released to Global News do not show any communications with engineers or the science centre to check on the condition of the roof. Instead, they reveal a back-and-forth as staff tried to hone the political messaging
While IO initially wanted to tell journalists that “only certain areas inside the building … are unsafe for workers or visitors,” the final response approved by political staff did not include the detail.
“The building is simply unsafe for Infrastructure Ontario staff to assess the roof and interior of the building, underscoring the seriousness of the 2024 Rimkus report on the immediate structural risks,” the official comment read.
When journalists followed up for more details on whether the roof had been damaged, staff suggested the original that had been quashed could have addressed the questions.
“Two follow-ups from Global,” someone in the ministry of infrastructure wrote in an email.
“Please let us know if you’d like IO to share proposed draft — perhaps their original is a bit more specific and could be provided to address these.”
The follow-up that was eventually approved still didn’t include the information Infrastructure Ontario had pitched.
“Infrastructure Ontario (IO) continues to manage the site, including essential snow work to protect the roof,” the comment read.
“Following the heavy snowfall over the weekend and based on a recent assessment by Rimkus, the snow load on the roof was deemed unsafe to remove, consistent with their 2024 structural risk warning. Following an additional review, limited snow removal can now proceed in target areas under strict engineering controls. IO takes the potential risks identified by qualified engineers seriously and will not compromise the safety of staff.”
It is impossible to tell through the documents released how much the premier’s office changed the suggested response from Infrastructure Ontario.
Global News has also requested all internal communications from Infrastructure Ontario on the issue. Eight months later, officials have not finished processing the request.
Neither Infrastructure Ontario nor the Ontario government has offered any update on the state of the roof or whether it was breached in the time that has elapsed since the snow was cleared.
Roughly eight months later, on Sept. 2, 2026, Toronto was battered by a rainfall the city referred to as a “100-year storm.”
Over the course of a few hours, more than 150 mm of rain fell on Toronto. The average monthly rainfall for the entire month of September is 74.5 millimetres.
Global News has contacted the government to ask if the science centre’s roof survived the latest storm.
A response was not received in time for publication.
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