The federal government is investing $2.3 million into Science North in Sudbury, for the expansion of two projects.
The funding includes $710,000 to expand a program called the Nature Exchange around the world.
The program, originally called Swap Shop, dates back to Science North’s founding in 1984.
Science North visitors – especially children – can bring things they’ve found in nature, such as acorns or interesting rocks, and exchange them for items other people have brought in.
“What happens to the items that the kids, or whoever, bring in, is they actually become part of the permanent collection,” said Science North CEO Ashley Larose.
“And so every nature exchange location then also becomes really unique, based on what items the visitors in that area are bringing in.”
Science North has already expanded the program to other places in Canada and the U.S. – including Las Vegas, Seattle and Niagara Falls – by partnering with different organizations in those cities.
Marc Gareau, Science North’s senior manager for international sales, said the science centre is now eyeing similar partnerships in Europe and Asia.
“The benefit beyond being just a really great learning experience for the children, is that the nature exchange also promotes visitors to come back again, and again, and again,” he said.
Science North also received funding to help with the expansion of its Dynamic Earth attraction in Sudbury, located at the site of the Big Nickel.
Larose said Science North has been working on the expansion since 2017, and it’s almost complete. There’s one new building that is still in progress.
“We hope to have that complete by the end of this year, opening in time for spring of 2026,” she said.
Larose said Science North has received $15 million in private and public funding to complete the expansion of the site, which is focused on Sudbury’s mining history and earth sciences.
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