The government says the project will strengthen Canada’s preparedness for future pandemics by increasing capacity to produce and fill-finish vaccines and therapeutics.

Premier Doug Ford said Thursday that the province can start gradually loosening restrictions because COVID−19 cases and hospitalizations are declining while vaccinations increase.

West End Connectors, the consortium selected to build the tunnels, and which is led by Aecon, announced on May 20 that the project reached financial close. The final price tag: $729.2 million.

The federal and provincial governments have announced more than $17 million in funding to build an aquatic centre at RBJ Schlegel Park in southwest Kitchener.

A research team from the University of Waterloo’s engineering department has devised a tool to help budget-conscious public-sector organizations prioritize their annual capital spends.