Work has officially begun on the Quebec agriculture ministry’s new veterinary diagnostic and disease surveillance complex at St-Hyacinthe.
The project, backed by a $51.6 million provincial investment, is expected to be complete by June 2011, the province said in a release Wednesday.
The new centre is a joint project with the Universite de Montreal’s faculty of veterinary medicine.
From the university’s perspective, the new complex will allow it to develop future generations of veterinarians and specialists by putting sophisticated equipment and facilities at their disposal, Jean Sirois, the faculty’s dean, said in the release.
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As well, the facility will allow the school to put its experts to work in public service through development of newer, faster and more effective diagnostic tools, he said.
From the province’s perspective, the new complex will allow the ministry to maintain the capacity to react more quickly in case of an animal disease crisis, and shorten any delay in the province’s response, said Guy Auclair, the province’s interim deputy minister for food.
“Without a doubt, the new centre will contribute to the vitality and reputation of our agri-food sector,” he said in the release.
