Harper announces new National Research Council facility for Winnipeg
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Digital Subscription
One year of digital access for only $205*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*First annual payment billed as $205.00 + GST for one year. This annual subscription will automatically renew at $233.00 + GST every 52 weeks (10% off the regular annual price of $259.35). Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Your next Brandon Sun subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $17.95 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 24/11/2014 (4290 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
OTTAWA – A new National Research Council facility is coming to Winnipeg, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced this afternoon.
Harper mentioned the new facility as part of $5.8 billion in new infrastructure spending unveiled at an announcement in London, Ont.
No other details have yet been provided for the new facility, including where it will be or how much it will cost.
In 2012 the federal government laid off at least one-third of the research staff at the NRC in Winnipeg, and announced plans to sell the two buildings at 435 and 445 Ellice Avenue.
The Winnipeg NRC program is known as the Institute for Biodiagnostics.
The changes in 2012 were expected to be part of a move from pure research to more commercialization.
The NRC’s research in Winnipeg on MRIs has been credited for a number of commercial spinoffs including the development of of technology behind IMRIS Inc., a successful medical-device company based in Winnipeg until it recently decamped to Minneapolis.
IMRIS generated about $52 million in revenue in 2011 for sales of its unique surgical-theatre MRI devices to hospitals around the world.
Harper announced a total of $380 million for upgrading or building new federal labs and research facilities.
The $5.8 billion announcement today also includes $500 million for schools on reserves, including repairs and new construction, $2.8 billion for infrastructure improvements in national parks and historic sites, $452 million for military facilities, $440 million for border infrastructure, and $204 million for federally-owned and operated airports and VIA Rail Canada’s rail infrastructure.
—with files from Martin Cash
Mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca
History
Updated on Monday, November 24, 2014 4:26 PM CST: Corrects amount earmarked for on-reserve schools.
Updated on Monday, November 24, 2014 5:07 PM CST: Tweaks reference to IMRIS.