Photo credit: globalnews.ca
Metrolinx, the provincial agency overseeing the Eglinton Crosstown LRT and Ontario Line projects, has announced a change in the name of the Ontario Science Centre stop on both transit routes. This decision follows the abrupt closure of the Ontario Science Centre by the Ford government due to reported structural concerns.
The Ontario Science Centre ceased operations last year, with the government emptying the facility immediately after the announcement. Plans have now been set into motion to relocate the centre to Ontario Place over the coming years, as part of a broader initiative to redevelop the waterfront area.
Prior to its closure, the science centre, located at the intersection of Eglinton Avenue and Don Mills Road, served as the namesake for stations along the Eglinton Crosstown LRT and was designated as a terminus station for the Ontario Line.
Given that the Ontario Science Centre is no longer in operation, Metrolinx has confirmed that the station, which has already been constructed but is part of an ongoing, delayed project, will adopt a new name.
The new designation for the station will be Don Valley Station, as confirmed by Metrolinx. The agency stated, “The new name reflects the station’s proximity to the Don Valley Parkway, Don River, and the Don Valley itself. It also ensures easy wayfinding for customers while aligning with Metrolinx’s naming principles.”
The name Don Valley Station was among several options put forward on a shortlist by Metrolinx in 2023, following the government’s decision regarding the relocation of the science centre. Agency staff had acknowledged, in an internal briefing, that the process of renaming would involve both time and additional expenses.
Although Metrolinx has not disclosed the exact costs associated with the name change, it stated that the expenses would be taken from the Eglinton Crosstown LRT’s existing budget. “Public-facing signage for the light rail transit station will soon be updated to ‘Don Valley’ to ensure the station’s infrastructure is ready ahead of the opening of Line 5,” the agency noted.
In 2023, alternative names considered for the station included Concorde, Industrial District, Olympia Square, Ferrand, and Don River. The need to change the name emerged as a direct consequence of the Ford government and Infrastructure Ontario’s decision to close the Ontario Science Centre.
This renaming renders the previously chosen Ontario Science Centre Station obsolete, a name that was one of 25 established in January 2016 during the initial planning phases of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT. The station had taken on extra relevance after the announcement of the Ontario Line by the Ford government in 2019, which aimed to link Ontario Place with the science centre.
However, in April 2023, the government revealed its intent to move the science centre to Ontario Place, prompting the need for this change. Metrolinx has assured that the new name will be reflected across the transit route in anticipation of its opening, although a specific date for the launch of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT has yet to be announced. Premier Doug Ford indicated during the recent election campaign that the line could potentially begin operations later this year.
Source
globalnews.ca