$12M approved to put science back into the science centre

There will be a lot more science at the Telus World of Science, now that city has agreed to pay $12 million to begin the process of expanding the centre and bring in more permanent exhibits.

“Now we get to the core science, which is what it’s all about,” said Alan Nursall, President and CEO of the centre on Tuesday.

Nursall said the centre plans to expand include an ambitious new early childhood education centre and new galleries related to the science of the Canadian arctic.

“A complete reinvention of much of the programming exhibitry that happens inside the core science centre,” he said.

The centre is also looking to update the planetarium, which is 30 years old.

“It was state of the art 30 years ago, we’re going to make it state of the art again,” Nursall said.

Council cash will kick off funding efforts

This will be the second expansion for the science centre in the five years. 

In 2012, the city contributed $7 million for a new exhibition gallery where the centre is currently hosting the Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology exhibit.

The $12 million just approved by the city will help the centre make a serious bid for more funding. The total estimated cost of the expansion is $40 million.

Council made the decision amid major budget constraints, but Coun. Bev Esslinger said the centre is worth the investment.

“It’s one of a kind, it serves so many people,”she said.

Now, the science centre will look for financial contributions from the provincial government and other municipalities in the region.

“What it does is it buys us access to many more millions of dollars, because we have a lot of fund raising to do now,” Nursall said.

Nursall said he hopes to see the expansion finished and open to the public sometime in 2017.

Other Tuesday budget highlights

Several other budget decisions were also made on Tuesday, including:

• Approving upgrades to the Stanley Milner Library. The city plans to fund it with tax supported debt, which could lead to an added tax increase of 0.005 per cent.
• After several hours of debate, council also approved a contentious motion to gift $3.5 million to EPS for a new single engine helicopter to replace the aging Air-1 and Air-2.
• Council also approved $3.75 million to fund the expansion of the Winspear Centre expansion. The centre plans to turn a parking lot on 97th Street into a performance theatre with a childcare centre and other cultural space.
• Councillors found $5.13 million in the capital budget to build a childcare facility at the new Westwood Transit Garage. The money is contingent on the results of a report from administration with more information about how it will be spend, which will be up for debate in April.