Gatineau site selected for world-class heritage science facility

Tashi Farmilo

A world-class Cultural Heritage Science (CHS) facility will be built in Gatineau, dedicated to safeguarding Canada’s most treasured artifacts and stories.

The 18,000 square metre building will rise at 51, Boul. Sacré-Coeur, behind the historic National Printing Bureau. It will bring together about 170 experts from Parks Canada, the Canadian Conservation Institute and the Canadian Heritage Information Network. Inside, purpose-built labs, workshops and advanced technology will support everything from field investigations and scientific analysis to hands-on conservation.

The CHS will care for iconic pieces of Canadian history, including relics from the Franklin expedition, Maurice “Rocket” Richard’s famed hockey sweater, works by Anishinaabe artist Norval Morrisseau and a test rocket from the Avro Arrow program.

Partnerships with Indigenous Peoples are central to the project. Planning has been shaped through dialogue with the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation and supported by the Algonquin Anishinabeg Nation Tribal Council. Indigenous knowledge will be woven into conservation practices, and the facility will include culturally safe spaces for ceremony and reflection. The government says these partnerships will also help create long-term economic opportunities for Indigenous communities.

The CHS is part of the federal Laboratories Canada strategy, a $3.7 billion initiative to modernize science infrastructure through collaborative science hubs. Procurement for the project is already under way, with a request for proposals expected in fall 2025 and the final design-build contract to be awarded by fall 2026. Construction will follow soon after.

“This bold investment will give our experts the tools to protect, celebrate and share our heritage for generations to come,” said Hull–Aylmer MP Greg Fergus. “A strong nation knows where it comes from. That’s why we’re building our future by honouring our past.”