The L.E.A.F. Initiative is a Commonwell program to support capacity, resiliency and growth in the communities we call home.

A new science centre for southwestern Ontario – feasibility study phase 2

7108 Concession 2 Cambridge, ONL3C 2V4

What is this project about?

Royal City Science was founded with one bold purpose: to build a unique new STEAM tourism offering for southwestern Ontario, drawing tens of thousands of local, regional, national, and international visitors annually.

This funding will support Phase 2 of our extensive feasibility study, to be completed by a specialized consultancy. In sequential order, activities will include:
– Project definition and objectives: A clear definition of purpose and objectives of the science centre. Identification of target audience (ie. students, families, tourists, or researchers).
– Market research: Conduct research to understand the demand for a science centre in the area and analyze existing competitors and similar institutions.
– Location analysis: Weigh in on potential suitable locations for the centre considering accessibility, visibility, and proximity to potential visitors.
– Legal and regulatory requirements: Research zoning laws, permits, and regulations that impact the project. Ensure compliance with codes and standards.
– Financial feasibility: Estimate the project’s initial costs, including land acquisition, construction, and equipment. Develop a projected budget for ongoing operational expenses. Calculate potential revenue streams, such as ticket sales, memberships, and sponsorships.
– Funding sources: Identify potential sources of funding (ie. government grants, private donations, or partnerships with educational institutions or corporations.)
– Operations and Management Plan: Outline the organizational structure of the management team for the centre. Develop a staffing plan, including hiring needs and training requirements.
– Marketing and promotion: Create a marketing plan to promote fundraising and the centre itself.
– Visitor experience and exhibits: Comparative analysis of program delivery from various related centres throughout Canada and the USA, including exhibits and amenities.
– Final feasibility report: a reflection of all data collected and analyzed
– Decision and implementation

These objectives will advance the RCS’s initiative significantly, building upon the successful completion of Phase 1 in collaboration with award-winning architects at ZAS Architects + Interiors.

Note: The location of this project has not yet been determined and the address listed is an approximate location.

RCSC-ZAS-Visioning-Report.pdf

Why is this project important to the community?

With the temporary closure of the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto, there remains only one operational science centre in a province of approx. 15 million. Building upon the provincial funding from the Ontario Ministry of Tourism for Phase 1 of our feasibility study, this project will lay the foundations for our ultimate goal: to build the first new science centre in Ontario since 1984. For many of the existential challenges that face our world - climate change, access to clean drinking water, feeding 9 billion people, pandemics, etc. - cutting-edge science and technology play a crucial role in finding creative solutions. We need more of our youth to pursue careers in STEAM to help us solve these problems. Finding opportunities to foster their curiosity and creativity through hands-on, open-ended exploratory experiences is a key element in encouraging them to continue in these fields. Canadians have important contributions to make in these realms and we need to do all we can to encourage the next generation of innovators to apply their skills to these fundamental challenges. This project is designed to expand the existing availability of informal STEAM-based programming for Canadians, approaching the importance and relevance of such facilities with the model adopted in Portugal in the mid 1990s (https://www.cienciaviva.pt/en/about/the-ciencia-viva) in which a country with a population of approximately 10 million established a network of 21 regional science centres. Ciência Viva is the realization of a social movement in favour of science and scientific culture, involving hundreds of thousands of researchers and citizens, students and teachers, young people and adults. In more than two decades of existence, it has implemented a successful strategy of empowerment of the main actors in science education, active involvement of the public in science, and dialogue between science and society. Additionally, locating such a facility in Puslinch, the heart of the Innovation Corridor, will drive much needed economic development in this rural community in Ontario, bringing visitors from urban centres to the region and contributing significantly to the diversification of the economy in Wellington County. It is also important to the community that we are creative in envisioning future uses for the many former and existing aggregate extraction sites in the township. The science centre will be the jewel in the crown of the reimagining of the landscape of southwestern Ontario.