The existing Edmonton Medical Examiner Office Building was built 32 years ago and the demands placed on it had significantly grown beyond what the facility was intended to accommodate. The expansions and upgrades were critical to support the successful delivery of the Medical Examiner’s program services; a lack of sufficient space, particularly for Alberta’s Toxicology Laboratory, constrained the program required to meet expanding program needs. The current project involves renovations to most of the existing facility, as well as a 460 m² expansion of the morgue and a 550 m² expansion of the toxicology area.
Modifications included additions/expansion to the toxicology laboratory, garage/receiving area, medical personnel administration suite, autopsy suite, cold storage, and toxicology administration suite. This project addressed significant health and safety concerns, ensuring accreditation of the program and facility were maintained, and basic program requirements were achieved. Included in the morgue expansion was a 100 m² Containment Level 3 suite, which was constructed with specialized systems and materials, and required an understanding of the high standard of construction associated with containment laboratories. Continuous operation of the facility with minimal shut down and impact to operations was a requirement.