The official opening of the new Abbotsford Law Courts will be live-streamed on Thursday (Feb. 4) at 12:30 p.m.
The virtual event can be watched on the BC government YouTube channel by clicking here.
The new $152 million courthouse – the province’s first in more than a decade – opened Jan. 18 at 32375 Veterans Way in the civic precinct.
The new 180,000-square-foot four-storey ALC houses 14 courtrooms – eight provincial, three Supreme and three initial appearance/conference rooms.
In addition, the project includes a separate 336-stall parkade adjacent to the courthouse.
The facility alsos incorporate justice programs such as the BC Prosecution Service, Community Corrections and a Justice Access Centre.
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Groundbreaking on the project took place in July 2018 to replace the aging leased courthouse at 32203 South Fraser Way, which was found to be infested by vermin and plagued by functional, overcrowding, security and safety issues, according to a 2014 report.
The new courthouse is expected to have the capacity to meet provincial and Supreme court demand in Abbotsford and the lower Fraser Valley through 2035.
But the project has been developed to meet future demands, with two of the conference rooms being designed for use as fully functioning courtrooms.
The ALC is on land leased to the Ministry of Citizens’ Services by the City of Abbotsford and is funded through a mix of public and private financing.
vhopes@abbynews.com
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