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Feds unveil $1.5B project to build new science facilities at National Research Council

July 26, 2024

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The federal government is pumping $1.5 billion into two new facilities at the National Research Council of Canada’s Montreal Road campus in a pair of massive construction projects that are expected to create hundreds of jobs. Public Services and Procurement Canada announced Friday it is spending $1 billion to build a new research laboratory that will focus on sustainable land development, as well as $500 million for a new facility the goal of which will be to reduce transportation safety risks for Canadians. The $1-billion facility, dubbed the TerraCanada National Capital Area project, will “support scientific advancements for sustainable land and resource development, as well as a low-carbon economy,” PSPC said in a news release. Meanwhile, the $500-million Transportation Safety and Technology Science project will “assess and reduce transportation safety risks for Canadians,” the department explained. Kanata-Carleton MP Jenna Sudds, who is also the federal minister of families, children and social development, announced the funding on behalf of Public Services and Procurement Minister Jean-Yves Duclos. “By investing in state-of-the-art infrastructure, we are not only enhancing our research capabilities but also driving economic growth and positioning Canada as a global leader in science and technology,” Sudds said in a statement. “This commitment ensures our scientists have the resources they need to make groundbreaking discoveries and address the challenges of tomorrow.” Both facilities will be located at the NRC’s main Ottawa campus at 1200 Montreal Rd. PSPC said the TerraCanada lab will house up to 450 employees from Natural Resources Canada and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, while the TSTS facility will employ more than 260 scientists and other workers from the NRC and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada. Construction is expected to start in 2026, with up to 400 workers on-site each day at the projects’ peak. The federal government has awarded a contract worth $59.5 million for architectural and engineering services at the TerraCanada facility to AECOM Canada Architects, AECOM Canada and AECOM Technical Services in a joint venture. EBC Inc. will manage construction of the TerraCanada site after winning a contract valued at $78.8 million. A49 and B&H will be in charge of architectural and engineering services for the TSTS project in a joint venture. The two firms have already completed a preliminary schematic design. A request for proposals for the TSTS project’s construction management contract is expected to be posted later this year, PSPC said. “The commitment to open two new laboratories in Ottawa reaffirms Canada’s position as a leader in science and innovation while growing the local economy,” Ottawa-Vanier MP Mona Fortier, whose riding includes the NRC’s campus, said in a statement. “These modern facilities will support collaboration and research excellence, and help attract and retain global talent to our region.” The projects will add to a wave of new construction aimed at boosting the National Capital Region’s research prowess. Earlier this year, the University of Ottawa began building a state-of-the-art $280-million medical research facility that is expected to fuel the creation of new biotech startups and generate hundreds of millions of dollars in economic spinoffs. The university says the 350,000-square-foot complex will bring together researchers, health-care professionals and industry experts under one roof in a space with R&D facilities, laboratories and offices dedicated to incubating the next generation of biotech companies. In May, the federal government announced it was providing $47 million to build a cutting-edge biotherapeutics manufacturing hub at The Ottawa Hospital’s new Civic campus that is slated to open in 2028. The new site is expected to allow researchers to ramp up the work they’ve been doing for the past 15 years at TOH’s current Biotherapeutics Manufacturing Centre. The facility, which has about 40 full-time staff based at the hospital’s General campus, specializes in developing treatments that use cells, genes, viruses and other biological materials to fight cancer, autoimmune diseases, heart disease and other conditions.