Not just any building: Premier McGuinty visits MaRS Phase 2
On an unusually snowy February morning in Toronto, Premier Dalton McGuinty toured the busy MaRS Phase 2 site, meeting with workers and getting a full brief on the construction progress.
Concluding his visit, he spoke with the media about the role that MaRS is playing in catalyzing job growth and innovation in the province.
“We’re not just putting together any kind of a building. The work that is going to be done here will bring together science, investors and a highly skilled, educated workforce. It will make innovative products that the world wants to buy. That’s the future of our economy here in Ontario.”
Now up to its ninth storey, it’s hard to believe this project was at the basement floor level just months ago.
With 20 levels of lab and office space, a projected 4,000 new jobs, loads of casual meeting rooms in the extended atrium and seamless underground access between Toronto General Hospital and the Queen’s Park subway station, the completion of Phase 2 in late 2013 will be a welcome addition to Toronto’s research and innovation community.
Premier McGuinty may be one of the first to set foot on the site, but tens of thousands more will follow suit, ensuring that MaRS remains a crucial hub for Ontario entrepreneurship for decades to come.
The following are some photos of the premier’s tour of the site and subsequent media address. Be sure to check out our Flickr page for high-resolution parent images. (Clicking an image will also open a larger version on Flickr.)
