The Government of Canada has awarded PCL Construction Canada Inc. a $768.6-million construction services contract for a major federal science campus in Ottawa.

The contract covers the Regulatory and Security Science Main (RSS Main) project. It moves the project into full construction after earlier site preparation and enabling work.

RSS Main will create a new science campus on the existing Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) Ottawa Laboratory site. The campus will include six modern science facilities. It will bring together scientists and researchers from the CFIA, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), Health Canada, and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).

The facilities will include modern laboratories, advanced technologies, and digital systems. They will support work on food safety, public health, border security, and emergency preparedness.

The project is part of Laboratories Canada, a $3.8-billion federal initiative to modernize government science infrastructure. RSS Main will house about 275 employees and support roughly 25 science programs.