Canadian Design and Construction Report staff writer
EllisDon has been selected to design and build a new 155-bed Health Centre of Excellence for the Correctional Service of Canada in Dorchester, New Brunswick.
The federal government awarded EllisDon a $58.7-million contract, including taxes, for the design phase of the project. The company will work with the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) and Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) to finalize the design and move toward construction.
The stand-alone health-care facility will be built on existing federal property beside Dorchester Penitentiary. It will replace the aging 53-bed Shepody Healing Centre.
The new centre is intended to provide modern health-care space for federal inmates while also providing CSC employees with a workplace designed to support their safety, wellness and day-to-day operations.
“The selection of a proponent to design and build the new Health Centre of Excellence marks a key step toward the construction of a safe, modern and bilingual correctional facility in Dorchester that will keep communities safe in Atlantic Canada and across the country,” Dominic LeBlanc, minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs, Internal Trade and One Canadian Economy, said in a statement.
PSPC said it will work with EllisDon to prioritize the use of Canadian materials where possible as part of the federal government’s Buy Canadian Policy. The approach is also intended to create economic opportunities for Canadian and local businesses during design and construction.
“Canadians expect public investments to deliver real results. With this contract, we are taking a concrete step toward better health care within Correctional Service of Canada and a modern facility built for the future,” Joël Lightbound, minister of government transformation, public works and procurement, said in a statement.
Construction and related work are expected to span five to six years, with completion targeted for 2032.
