OAKVILLE, ON - Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and the Ministry of the Attorney General (MAG) have issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) for interested parties to design, build, finance and maintain a new Halton Region Consolidated Courthouse.

Located in Oakville, the site of the future courthouse is provincially owned and located within 15 and 16 kilometres from the existing Milton and Burlington courthouses. The new 21-courtroom facility will offer a broad range of justice, family, social and victim services, bringing the Superior Court of Justice and Ontario Court of Justice operations in Milton and Burlington together at one accessible location.

The RFQ is the first step in the procurement process to select a team to deliver the project. Submissions will be reviewed to shortlist project teams with the design and construction experience, as well as the financial capacity to deliver a project of this size and complexity. Shortlisted teams will then be invited to respond to a request for proposals, expected to be released in the fall of 2018. Construction is expected to begin in late 2019.

Consolidation of justice programs and services will reduce operational and facilities costs associated with delays in court proceedings, provide new job opportunities for residents in the area, make court administration more efficient, and better serve the community.

IO and MAG are committed to implementing accessibility provisions throughout the courthouse and courthouse plaza to ensure equal access to justice for all court users.

The new courthouse's design will be modern and accessible with features such as:

  • Barrier-free access to all courtrooms and enhanced accessibility features throughout the courthouse
  • Video conferencing to allow witnesses to appear from remote locations and in-custody individuals to appear from jail
  • Closed-circuit television to enable children and other vulnerable individuals to appear before the court from a  private room
  • Courtroom video/audio systems to allow counsel to display video evidence recorded in various formats and for the simultaneous viewing of evidence
  • A single point of entry with magnetometers, baggage scanners, continuous video surveillance, and separate corridors for judiciary, members of the public and the accused for security reasons

Ontario's plan to create fairness and opportunity during this period of rapid economic change includes a higher minimum wage and better working conditions, free tuition for hundreds of thousands of students, easier access to affordable child care, and free prescription drugs for everyone under 25 through the biggest expansion of medicare in a generation.

QUICK FACTS

  • IO and MAG are working together to build the Halton Region Consolidated Courthouse, which will be publicly owned and controlled.
  • The project is being delivered using IO's Alternative Financing and Procurement model, an innovative way of financing and procuring large, complex public infrastructure projects.
  • The courthouse will be designed to meet the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Silver standard with a focus on energy efficiency, healthy indoor environments and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Halton is one of the fastest-growing regions in the province, with a projected growth rate of over 60 per cent between now and 2041.
  • Ontario is making the largest infrastructure investment in hospitals, schools, public transit, roads and bridges in the province's history. To learn more about what's happening in your community, go to Ontario.ca/BuildON.

Quotes:

“A new courthouse in Halton Region will ensure residents have access to modernized facilities, while supporting the local economy. Our government is committed to investing in infrastructure across the province to build Ontario up and increase services to communities.”
Bob Chiarelli, Minister of Infrastructure

“This is an exciting first step toward an innovative, modern and accessible Halton Region courthouse. Infrastructure Ontario is proud that we are continuing to deliver major AFP projects for the communities of Halton Region and across Ontario.”
Ehren Cory, President and CEO, Infrastructure Ontario

Learn More

Infrastructure Ontario
Ministry of the Attorney General

Media contacts:

Cary Mignault
Infrastructure Ontario
416-325-2888

Emilie Smith
Ministry of the Attorney General
416-326-2210

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