December 14, 2021—Science North CEO Guy Labine has announced that he will step down from
leadership of the science centre next March. He will become the President and CEO of the
Arizona Science Center in Phoenix.
Guy Labine started his career at Science North, Canada’s second largest science centre, in
2001 and became the CEO in 2011 following the retirement of Jim Marchbank. Over the
past 10 years, Science North has renewed major visitor experiences at Science North and
Dynamic Earth, expanded its work with partner attractions and communities, including First
Nation communities, across Northern Ontario, and grown its work with teachers and
students.
Science North Board Chair, Dr. Stephen Kosar said, “The last 2 years have been
challenging for the tourism sector, particularly for Science North. We’ve been fortunate to
have Guy at the helm guiding this organization through the most challenging times in our
history.” He added, “Guy’s entrepreneurial spirit and strong leadership skills have allowed
Science North to not only weather this global pandemic, but to expand its relationships and
impact across Northern Ontario and beyond. On behalf of our Board, I want to thank Guy
for his incredible leadership that has driven great results. We will miss him and wish him
well in this new adventure. The Arizona Science Center will be fortunate to have someone
with his experience and skills.”
Labine says he has mixed emotions in his departure, “I’m so proud of the work of our entire
team, especially during the past 22 months. We’ve been able to shift directions during the
pandemic to ensure the safety of the audiences we serve and our staff, while continuing to
offer great experiences and programs in new and exciting ways.’ He added, “The past 10
years have been an amazing journey as we’ve continued to focus on our audiences with
new experiences at Science North and Dynamic Earth. Our expansion across Northern
Ontario will continue to remain vibrant, strong, and will present a great opportunity for a new
leader to take it to the next level.” He added, “I’m excited to join the Arizona Science Center
team. Like Science North, it has a strong Board, great leadership and team members, and
I’m looking forward to leading it to achieve great results.”
Science North and its attractions and programs were significantly impacted during the
COVID-19 pandemic. However, with support from the provincial, federal, municipal
governments and the private sector, it has remained strong and vibrant. It has a renewed
Strategic Plan, funding to create new visitor experiences and programs, a robust number of
activities across the North and growing partnerships.
During his tenure as Science North, CEO Guy Labine also provided leadership to industry
associations. He served as Board President of the Canadian Association of Science
Centres (CASC) and expanded Science North’s support of this important organization. He
served 8 years on the Board of the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC)
and was Chair for two years in 2017-2019.