Ottawa is spending $10.2 million to design a new pandemic laboratory beside the Winnipeg facility at the centre of the Chinese scientist security scandal.
Winnipeg South MP Terry Duguid announced Wednesday that Architecture49 Inc. secured the $10.2-million design and engineering contract. The new facility will house Level 2 and 3 labs for research into vaccines, treatments and diagnostics for future pandemics.
Federal procurement records show the facility is expected to span roughly 13,000 square metres beside the existing National Microbiology Laboratory (NML).
Design work is expected to continue through 2029, with construction beginning in 2030 and completion targeted for 2033.
The $10.2-million contract covers design and engineering, while Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham has described the overall project as a $267-million federal investment.
