News Release

Site Chosen For Thunder Bay Consolidated Courthouse

McGuinty Government Improving Access To Justice

February 2, 2009

News

The new Thunder Bay consolidated courthouse will be located right downtown, between Brodie and Archibald streets, south of Miles Street.

It will help improve access to justice by increasing the number of available courtrooms and providing better security and easier access for the disabled. The building project will also create new jobs to spur economic development and downtown revitalization in Thunder Bay.

IBI Group Architects, selected through a competitive procurement process, are responsible for preparing the guidelines and performance requirements that the successful courthouse building team must follow when preparing the overall courthouse design.

A request for qualifications will be issued shortly by Infrastructure Ontario for the design, building, financing and maintenance of the new courthouse. The courthouse will be owned by the province.

Quotes

"Today's announcement helps our community meet a 15 to 20 year request to consolidate and modernize court facilities in Thunder Bay and will have the added benefits of significant job creation and may become a catalyst for further downtown rejuvenation," said Bill Mauro, MPP for Thunder Bay-Atikokan.

"Today's announcement illustrates our government's commitment to invest in our community's infrastructure and spur economic development," said Michael Gravelle, MPP for

Thunder Bay-Superior North.

"Not only will this project bring a modernized courthouse to Thunder Bay, it is also one of many examples of lasting investments we are making in the north," said George Smitherman, Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy & Infrastructure. "Through these investments we are furnishing the building blocks for the future."

"Thunder Bay will have greater access to justice through a new courthouse designed with Ontarians in mind - with secure, accessible justice services consolidated in one location to maximize the use of public funds," said Chris Bentley, Attorney General.

Quick Facts

• The new facility will consolidate two existing courthouses (Superior Court of Justice at 277 Camelot Street and the Ontario Court of Justice at 1805 East Arthur Street) within one modern facility.
• Infrastructure Ontario is a Crown corporation dedicated to managing some of the province's larger and more complex infrastructure renewal projects - ensuring they are built on time and on budget.

Learn More

Learn how Ontario is improving access to civil, family and criminal justice

Find out about the province's Growth Plan for Northern Ontario

Contacts

Sheamus Murphy
Minister's Office, 416-326-1785

Brendan Crawley
Communications Branch, 416-326-2210

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