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The price tag for that museum was shared by three levels of government and private donors who put in more than a third of the cash. The federal government put in $100 million, only $20 million more than they’re paying to refurbish the bread factory on St. Laurent, with a far less magnificent outcome.

If the planning and fundraising had begun the day the science museum locked its doors, we might have been without a facility until 2025. The government chose to fund an imperfect solution that will be completed a lot sooner, leaving the city without a science museum for three years rather than 10 or 12.

That’s somewhat expedient, but the result is a huge missed opportunity. Major community facilities should be carefully planned, with forethought and imagination. They should be part of a broad vision for the city, centrally located, near major transit lines and accessible to families and tourists.

The lesson of the science museum is that you can’t wait for a crisis to start before developing the right long-term solution. Instead of having a major new attraction on LeBreton Flats, perhaps near the War Museum or the exciting new Chaudiere development, we’re stuck with the crazy kitchen in the industrial park behind the McDonald’s.

We should learn from the mistake and realize it’s never too soon to start the conversation about where other important gathering points will be located for the next 50 years. While time wasn’t on our side for the science museum, it is for many other community hubs, including a new hockey arena.