Posted by Sudbury Northern Life Reporter Bill Bradley
Premier Dalton McGuinty played Santa Claus with Science North staff and members of the Greater Sudbury community Wednesday afternoon in the Vale Inco Cavern.
He boosted the operating budget of the tourist centre by $3.6
million and added another one-time cash infusion of $340,000
this fiscal year.
McGuinty said the interactive exhibits at Science North are excellent.
"Kids get to push buttons, pull levers, handle insects and simply watch the wonders provided by science," he noted.
"They get the question they pose answered when they ask 'What will happen when I do this?' Just try getting your kids to leave this place at the end of the day. They do not want their day at Science North to end."
The premier mentioned that he brought his own children to Science North when they were youngsters.
"What impressed then was they got to hold live animals in their arms. For years afterward, they have told me this was the only place where they went where someone put an animal in their arms. I think that made a real lasting impact on them for years afterwards. That is how it should be. We want the memories of this place to inspire because that could lead to a lifetime of study," said McGuinty.
Jim Marchbank, Science North CE0, though pre-warned about the announcement, was clearly moved by the announcement.
"This announcement is just really stunning. It is a huge increase to our operating budget. It will allow us to expand our programs all across northern Ontario to really meet our mandate," said Marchabank.
"It is an increase to our operating budget of about 24 per cent. It is also an increase to our provincial operating grant of about 100 per cent. It is fabulous. We have not had a significant increase like this in 20 years."
Marchbank said the Science Centre's overall budget is about $15 million.
"This announcement will boost the budget to $18 to $20 million. The provincial operation grant will rise from $3.4 million to about $7 million."
The funds announced mean a significant increase in jobs at Science North, including full time, part-time and seasonal positions, said a release.
Mayor John Rodriguez also was excited.
"This is the best news we had in awhile. Now Science North can go ahead and be more innovative than it has been. I think the government of Ontario has recognized that this science centre is delivering the goods. The government has rewarded Science North and put its money into success," said Rodriguez.
Frank Klees, a candidate for the provincial Conservative leadership and former provincial cabinet minister, also happened to be visiting Sudbury this week.
He was not impressed by McGuinty's annoucement.
"What northern Ontario really needs is not one-off announcements, but a regional development strategy taking into account energy pricing, taxation and targeted investment in not only tourism, but also natural resources," he said Thursday during an interview with Northern Life.
