Bird wins three major Ontario correctional expansions
Modular construction and a streamlined procurement process are expected to accelerate completion.
Key Takeaways:
- Bird Construction Inc. has been awarded the contract to design and build modular expansions at three Ontario correctional facilities, adding about 150 beds across Thorold, Milton, and Sudbury.
- The $180‑million project will improve staff safety, increase correctional capacity, and provide more space for programming, education, and health services, with construction beginning in 2026.
- Modular construction and a streamlined procurement process are expected to accelerate completion, with the Sudbury site repurposed as an adult facility by 2028.
The Whole Story:
Bird Construction Inc. has been awarded a contract to design and build modular expansions at three Ontario correctional facilities, Infrastructure Ontario and the Ministry of the Solicitor General announced July 16.
The company will add approximately 150 beds across the Niagara Detention Centre in Thorold, the Vanier Centre for Women in Milton, and the Cecil Facer Youth Centre in Sudbury, which will be repurposed to accommodate adult inmates.
The expansions, part of a more than $180-million provincial investment, are intended to improve safety for front-line staff, boost correctional capacity, and enhance programming, health and rehabilitation services. Construction is expected to begin in 2026.
Solicitor General Michael Kerzner said the modular builds will help bring more beds online faster to “hold criminals accountable and ensure that inmates serve their sentences in secure, modern spaces.”
Each site will see roughly 50 beds added, along with multi-use programming areas, outdoor yards — including cultural spaces at Vanier and Cecil Facer — and dedicated areas for education, literacy and technology training.
Bird Construction was selected through Infrastructure Ontario’s Request for Qualifications and Standing Offer process. Officials said the streamlined approach, combined with modular construction, will accelerate timelines compared with traditional projects.
Bird president and CEO Teri McKibbon said the company is building on its experience delivering similar modular expansions in Kenora and Thunder Bay in 2022.
By 2028, the repurposed Cecil Facer site in Sudbury is expected to function as an adult correctional facility to help meet growing demand in northern Ontario.
