Educating Risa

Hi Risa … The boys and I are still reeling from this news. For your other readers, FYI, this information came via the horses mouth, as I invited myself in on a staff meeting in process at the Science Center Thursday afternoon.

EVERYTHING in the current Science Center (except the Creative Kids Museum) is being dismantled and shipped away over the next weeks, as the entire building, (except the Creative Kids wing) is being devoted to the BodyWorlds exhibit. This was an entirely knee jerk move by administrators over a very brief window of time during which it was emergently realized, oops, not only is the current financial viability of the venue not liquid, but the potential future NEW Science Center that’s been promised is also at risk.

I just can’t believe the short-sightedness of this expression of administration. I have run a business, I have been integrally involved in non-profits for many years, (the SC is non-profit) and I understand the vagaries of responding to environmental conditions beyond organization control. However, what really chafes me here is my perception that the SC did not adequately endeavor to INFLUENCE exacerbating conditions so that their core clientelle would not be so dismissively displaced. And for two years!

The optimistic re-open date of the new SC was, with skeptical brows raised, told to me as November 2011. Not one of the three administrative staffers around the table appeared very confident that this projection is near to accurate.

I agree with your framing here, “If your child’s science interests are in physics, or entomology, or astronomy, or pretty much anything but the wafer-thin part of science focused on the human body, well…sorry, you’re out of luck!” This move feels so incredibly, incredibly short-sighted and, dare I say it, offensive to their core audience! With so much breadth and depth to enjoy in the sciences it seems downright egregious to me that they’re shrugging their shoulders to the lot of it, in a desperate attempt to exploit a potential revenue stream from a new audience via BodyWorlds. Not to mention that nothing about BodyWorlds is interactive …

The boys and I went to the BodyWorlds exhibit at the Edm. SC a couple years ago, and I thought it was fascinating. I think inherently Gunther VonHagen’s brainchild is nothing short of brilliant. However, the mere fact that it is not interactive in any way effectively eliminates the entire demographic the Calgary SC has served in this city for all its life.

And, as a final insult, again, FYI, even if you would ask for a pro-rated refund on your annual pass — which in my opinion is the very, very least the SC could do in compensation to the hapless bunch of you who bought or renewed your passes mere weeks before the decision was made to eliminate the very product you bought your pass to enjoy — you’d be disappointed. A mutual friend of ours asked for this pro-rated refund, and was denied.

It does suck for those of us who live here, and who have no desire to pay $25 per adult and $16 per kid to get into Bodyworlds ONCE–less the $5 off those prices if you have a membership. And I assume these other “huge international exhibits” will also have additional cost to get into? These exhibits are good for the tourist, but not for the folks who LIVE here. (I have no problem with the exhibits in themselves; I have a problem with effectively having no science centre for the next year-and-a-half…or more.) And I am particularly unhappy since we just renewed our family memberships in January, so we’ve paid for a year but only got 3 months worth of access. Oh, and we’re apparently getting 3 months of access to the new centre in future. Uh-huh. So where’s my other 6 months?

Basically, I believe that a science centre should first serve the citizens of its own city, via classes and summer camps and a wide range of hands-on exhibits and learning activities, to inspire the next generation of scientists. The Calgary Science Centre’s choice to close down and offer BodyWorlds only (and a couple future similar exhibits over the next while), at high cost, serves to draw in tourists and pad the centre’s bottom line, but it does not serve those of us who live here.

I would be a lot less upset if the science centre offered refunds on a pro-rated basis, or allowed the remaining portion of our memberships to be used to access the new site when it opens (so we’d get 9 months). But the choices they have made disrespects and alienates the core audience and supporters of the centre. We do not plan to renew our memberships in future, and I doubt we are alone.

The BodyWorlds exhibit is huge, even getting rid of everything but the creative kids, I am not sure how they are going to fit it in our science centre. It is a cool exhibit though. (not that this justifies what is going on) I believe the cost might be decided by the exhibit owners, as it seems to be the same cost regardless of where it is shown. Like I said it is huge, when I saw it in Seattle, the Pacific Science Centre there did not even try to show it “on grounds” they had it in a rented hall downtown, our passes didn’t gain us admission then either.
I first heard about this happening in March, and whispers of it in February, so I feel like they should have been warning pass purchasers since at least then, and really if the public was hearing about this in February/March then it was most likely decided in January or earlier. I can’t remember when I heard the exhibit was coming, but they would have known then that they were either cleaning out the science centre or renting space somewhere else. If you go in to ask for a refund I would suggest that if they say no that you call Lea Williams-Doherty (CTV Consumer Watch). Also mention that you write a blog that is well followed, and what the reactions are of those you know. Maybe it will make them rethink things.
It sucks that they are doing this, I have personally felt the Science Centre was way over charging for several years, and haven’t purchased a pass since it cost more than $100.00 for a family (of 5) for a year. I can buy a pass for any six people for one year at the Pacific Science Centre in Seattle for $80.00; it is around three times the size of our Calgary Science Centre, and puts out an awesome Science magazine that you also receive a free subscription too.

I’m sure we who lived through the decision of the Calgary City Council and Scampede Board – oops Stampede Board decided to take out the progressive and innovative children’s playground “Funtier World” that was at Stampede Park years ago along with that invaluable community asset, the Kinsmen Centre, which happened to be the prime location of the Stampede Grounds cat shows years ago, in favor of what was then the Olympic Sadddle Dome could imagine how you felt and aside from the Pet Expos and dog shows it could seem as if “if your and your family’s “off season” Stampede Grounds interests were anything other than trade shows, rock concerts not to mention hockey games, especially HOCKEY GAMES in particular, then really too bad, you’re out of luck too, especially if you happened to like cat shows.” Though we who were just old enough at the time to enjoy the “Funtier World” playground went on to eventually outgrow it, we thought it was a bummer for subsequent generations of children that they missed out on that, though being cat enthusiasts, we never outgrew the need for a central location for cat shows, kind of like the Stampede Grounds was. As for the Body Works or Body Worlds exhibit is concerned, I had went at least one time when it was in Edmonton and three times when it was in Calgary and I would sooner pay at least $25 for a BODY WORLDS admission than anything like $80 or $100 or even $300 for a rediculously overpriced hockey or rock concert ticket, since BODY WORLDS is a rather cool exhibit that enabled you to find out anatomy and you could also buy yourself a catalog or some post cards afterwards to relive your time at the exhibit by.

That is not good—too much money —es mucho dinero!!

Montgomery triangle is awesome!!