University of Saskatchewan Develops Vaccine Institute

The University of Saskatchewan has begun construction on the $110 million International Vaccine Center (InterVac) in Saskatoon. Designed by Smith Carter of Winnipeg, the 165,000-sf facility will include large animal testing facilities and BSL-3 containment laboratories for infectious disease and vaccine research. Hemisphere Engineering Inc. of Edmonton, Alberta, will provide biocontainment engineering design expertise on the project. Modular in design, the center will house 18 laboratories capable of combination into a single focus area or configuration for separate research. The multi-species facility will be able to accommodate up to 180 cows or 5,000 chickens. The construction manager for the project is PCL Construction of Saskatoon. The facility is scheduled for completion in the spring of 2009 with a project value estimated at $90 million.