Construction Targeted for Completion Late 2008  

TORONTO - Infrastructure Ontario and the Ministry of Children and Youth Services announced today that Bird Construction and its partners - Bird GTAYC Inc.- have achieved financial close for the new Brampton youth justice facility. Financial close signals that all contractual steps and financing have been completed for the redevelopment project. 

The deal commits Bird Construction to build and finance the youth justice facility project for $93 million, which will be paid by the province only when construction is completed.  A Value for Money (VFM) report will be posted on Infrastructure Ontario's website, along with the project contract, within a few weeks of financial close.  The VFM report will provide an assessment of the benefits or value derived using AFP compared to a traditional delivery model. The report will also provide a summary of project costs including the cost of the contract with Bird Construction, transaction costs and other ancillary costs.   

The new Brampton youth justice facility will replace the Toronto Youth Assessment Centre and the Invictus Youth Centre. The new innovative facility will provide a youth-centred environment and offer a safe, secure and healthy rehabilitative environment for youth in conflict with the law. 

Construction began in April 2007 and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2008. Facility commissioning will follow with the official opening scheduled for early 2009.  

Highlights of the project include: 

  • construction of eight new buildings and renovations to two existing buildings
  • an innovative facility that includes smaller, 16-person residential units for up to 192 youth
  • a multi-faith worship centre 
  • separate buildings for education and recreation, including an indoor gymnasium
  • a structural design and landscaping that will enhance the surrounding community
  • designing the facility to meet the Canada Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) “silver” certification standards, which certifies the worlds “greenest” buildings
  • preserving as many existing trees as possible to 'screen' the facility from public sight lines

Infrastructure Ontario will work with the Ministry of Children and Youth Services to build the youth justice facility, which will remain publicly owned, publicly controlled and publicly accountable.  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.

This project is guided by principles outlined in the Province's Building a Better Tomorrow framework, which ensures public ownership of core assets such as hospitals, schools, and water and wastewater facilities.  The youth justice facility project is one of many infrastructure projects being upgraded and modernized under ReNew Ontario, the government's five-year, $30-billion plus public infrastructure investment plan.   

Contacts: 

Mandy Downes
Infrastructure Ontario 
416-327-5325

Anne Machowski 
Ministry of Children and Youth Services 
416-325-5156