Doug Ford’s PC might need a math refresher

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In 2020, Ontario introduced a new math curriculum for students in grades 1 to 8, and standardized test scores have been slipping for a decade. Last year, only half of grade 6 students met provincial standards in math. The Ontario Conservatives’ “back to basics” math focus is helping young people prepare for technical careers and basic household budgeting. Unfortunately, it seems that basic math refresher is also essential for some of the people who manage our money at Queen’s Park.

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Take the government’s decision to cancel the province’s 10-year contract with the Beer Store, which the Conservatives themselves estimated would cost $225 million. That’s a high price to pay to slightly expand grocery store alcohol offerings and introduce sales in convenience stores earlier than expected, fulfilling a pressing need that no one but the premier was aware of.

The beer store contract was set to expire in December 2025; Premier Doug Ford couldn’t wait (to save a ton of money) and it’s a bit like failing the marshmallow test. Meanwhile, corner store cashiers will become gatekeepers to underage drinking.

It gets worse. The provincial Liberals claim the actual cost of canceling the contract is closer to $1 billion. Let’s put this in the form of a math problem: How long would it take to waste $1 billion at a rate of $1 million a day? The answer is: You’d have to waste $1 million a day for nearly three years.

This egregious misuse of funds was a stark contrast to protests this week against the closure of the Ontario Science Centre, an iconic attraction built in 1969. The abrupt closure came after an engineering report by Rimkus Consulting Group on June 21 raised concerns that part of the roof, made of aerated concrete, could collapse under snow.

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“Unfortunately, we have to take the warning signs from our engineers very seriously,” Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma told reporters this week. “It was a very difficult decision.”

Surma’s woes follow the governor’s highly unpopular decision last April to relocate the science centre to the city centre and demolish the striking building designed by Toronto architect Raymond Moriyama. A new facility is scheduled to open in 2028 inside the redeveloped Ontario Place, alongside a lush private spa.

Eight months after the decision was made, Infrastructure Ontario belatedly released cost estimates justifying the move. The report estimated that it would cost the government $600 million less over 50 years to build and operate the new facility than to refurbish and operate the existing one. (For those doing the math, that works out to $12 million per year.)

Of course, Ford explained the reason for the move back in April: “All of us grew up going to the Science Center. It’s exhausting.”

Well, I’m tired too. The Moriyama Building is the same age as me, and while I may be sagging a little in places, I still find it hard to believe that something this old is beyond saving.

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In fact, the Rimkus report suggests precisely how to protect the roof. It recommends replacing the aerated concrete panels in phases over the next 10 years, as they will need to be renewed regularly. Moreover, the panels at highest risk (which make up less than 3% of the roof area) can be treated while safely keeping nearly all of the permanent exhibits open to the public.

Keeping facilities open is not only about health and safety, but also about simple spending priorities.

The cost of repairing these roofs was estimated at between $22 million and $40 million, a drop in the bucket.

write.robin@baranyai.ca

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