Here's why it's lights out at Science World until 2023

Right around now the Science World dome is usually lit up in red and green.

However, in what appears to be a holiday humbug moment, the iconic Vancouver landmark is dark, and not for the first time this year either.

The geodesic dome was a temporary structure built for Expo 86; although it was engineered to last, it is starting to show signs of wear and age. 

"From time to time [the dome] needs an internal technical touch-up to allow it to continue to shine brightly," a spokesperson for Science World tells Vancouver Is Awesome in an email.

"Amidst global supply chain and labour issues, coupled with environmental factors like saltwater erosion and a temperate climate, we’ve tried different fixes to turn the lights back on — but have not had complete success."

The Science World team is working to solve the issue as quickly as possible but says they don't anticipate the lights coming back on until late spring 2023.

The centre recently received $10 million in government funding, which is being used to help fix the dome lights "among other critical infrastructure updates," according to the spokesperson.

Science World says the $10 million is integral "but more funding is needed to meet all the requirements to rejuvenate and repair the iconic dome." Some of the money is also being used to restore key exhibits.

For now, Science World says, "We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to solve this."