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April 4, 2006
City of Thunder Bay
Commits $5 Million Towards Project
 Thunder
Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) is proposing
the development of a Molecular Medicine Research Centre
(MMRC) to be located within existing retrofit facilities
in Thunder Bay, Ontario. As part of Thunder Bay’s
multi-pronged regional strategy, the proposed facility
will be a cornerstone for Thunder Bay’s new knowledge-based
economy and will combine top researchers, state-of-the
art facilities, training of high quality personnel and
leading-edge research programs and will serve as a catalyst
for innovative scientific medical research.
- MMRC facilities located in Thunder Bay (located on the
soon-to-be refurbished 290 Munro Street former Cancer Centre
site) will be wholly owned by TBRHSC. The facility will
be managed as a joint venture partnership between TBRHSC
and Sunnybrook and Women’s Research Institute (SWRI)
with active involvement of private partners.
- The facility will be a major driver of Thunder Bay
and Northern Ontario’s strategic transition from a declining
resource based economy to a high value, high growth knowledge-based
economy.
- The MMRC builds on TBRHSC’s growth as an academic
health sciences centre and SWRI’s international reputation
for scientific research excellence; existing research facilities;
and existing regional strengths in clinical and scientific
research, clinical medicine and clinical training.
- The long-term goal of the MMRC will be to ensure
that the research enterprise at TBRHSC will focus and capitalize
on its unique local strengths and opportunities to complement
and collaborate with other provincial research institutions.
- Initial research programs will focus on cancer and
imaging (specifically in X-ray, MRI, SPECT, PET and combination
systems) and will expand to include cardiac and neurosciences
as the MMRC develops.
- Facility and research program success will be underpinned
by existing and future partnerships between TBRHSC, SWRI,
a consortium of leading regional organizations (including
Lakehead University, Genesis Genomics, and the Northern Ontario
Municipal Association and others) and active partnerships
with committed private sector firms.
- The MMRC will actively seek licensing, partnership
and spin-off opportunities in close collaboration with leading
regional and international private sector firms.
- The MMRC will be developed and implemented in sustainable
phases each with key targets and milestones:
• Years 1 and 2 – Project
Launch and Establishment
• Years 3 through 5 – Project and
Program Development
• Years 6 through 10 – Program Expansion
Capital and Operating Funds
- This approximately $36.0 million proposal (funded
approximately equally by: $12.0 million from the Federal Government;
$12.0 million from the Province of Ontario; and $12.0 million
through other public and private investment) will kick start
medical research in Thunder Bay. Funds will be used primarily
to support the five-year start-up phase of the project and
for the purchase of capital equipment for molecular medicine
research, researcher base salaries, laboratory equipment and
supplies.
- Additional and ongoing funding will be acquired through
the active pursuit of research grants (key MMRC researchers
have an outstanding established track record of grant funding
success). Individual researchers will be expected to generate
operating funds and contribute to the generation of future
major expansions and upgrades of equipment provided in the
initial stage of the project.
Projected Financial And Economic Development
Highlights
- The MMRC is projected to yield economic and development
benefits for Thunder Bay and Northern Ontario totaling between
$101.1 million and $137.5 million during the early phases
of the MMRC operation. Projected economic benefits include:
(errors due to rounding)
• Attraction of Research Grant Funding totaling between $65.0
million and $91.0 million;
• Tri-Council Operating Funds of between $19.5 and $27.3 million;
• Salary Expenditure in the local economy, $10.2 million;
and
• Supplies and Services purchased in local economy of between
$6.0 and $8.4 million.
- Knowledge-intensive job creation related to the MMRC
is projected to total 204 full-time equivalent positions,
including: 117 research positions and 87 support positions.
- Total region-wide job creation of between 400 and
600 positions (or between 2 and 3 times the projected direct
job creation) is achievable as a result of increased demand
of spin-off and/or support services, including: supply sales,
distribution, administration, retail sales, construction,
project management, food service, business support services,
technical support services and others.
- It is projected that further capital investments
by the City of Thunder Bay and/or other public investors will
not be necessary to support the on-going operations of MMRC.
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