ABBOTSFORD – The British Columbia government has announced its plans to build a new plant and animal health centre to monitor, detect and prevent the spread of diseases such as avian flu.

It says the current centre is about 30 years old, suffered “extensive damages” during the 2021 flooding in Abbotsford and needs to be replaced to meet increasing testing demands.

The province says the centre handles more than 10,000 cases each year, helping to detect and monitor for diseases such as avian influenza, West Nile virus and chronic wasting disease.

A provincial news release says the government has now approved up to $496 million to purchase the land for the new centre in Abbotsford, build the new facility and buy equipment.

Construction is expected to begin in 2027 with a goal of being ope

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