The Ministry of Government Services (MGS) Data Centre was established because of the Government of Ontario's enterprise-level hosting of mission-critical business applications. The data center would improve IT services and help Ontario become an eGovernment by consolidating 43 individual data centers into one facility.

Situated on a 25-acre site that abuts an environmentally significant wetlands area, the 218,820-square-foot facility contains a 30,000-square-foot raised-floor data center with provisions for future expansion and all the mechanical and electrical infrastructure required to continuously deliver IT services. Also included in the facility are a central utilities plant, office and support areas, a print facility and contingency response centers for long-term stays during emergency situations.

With the ever-increasing use of a multitude of technologies, the need for larger, more robust, reliable and up-to-date data centers has been steadily rising as well. Given this, the approach taken to these projects becomes crucial.

On this project, PCL delivered a design-build solution within a design-build-finance-maintain contract for the Province of Ontario. Reducing the energy requirements of the building was a high priority achieved through a multitude of innovations to reduce energy requirements of the building and improve the reliability of its performance. With this approach to delivery, a multitude of innovations were applied to reduce the energy requirements of the building and improve the reliability of its performance.

Due to its high level of sustainability, resource efficiency and cost effectiveness, the MGS Data Centre achieved Gold certification under the green building rating system administered by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). This award exceeded the requirements of the project agreement. This included the restoration 80% of the natural vegetated habitat to blend with the area and found ways to contain and collect stormwater for reuse that eliminated the need for the city sewer system. Our commitment to finding the best solutions for our clients includes intentional action to ensure long-term and sustainable outcomes for the surrounding environment.

The Uptime Institute is an internationally recognized third party who certifies data centers according to the level of uninterrupted reliability in information technology systems.  The Institute endorsed the project further by awarding it Tier IV certification (the highest ranking possible).  Most notably, the MGS Data Centre was the first such facility in the world to receive Tier IV certification for operational sustainability. PCL completed this project with 100% availability and no interruption to white space operations during routine system maintenance, system upgrades, or unexpected system failure.

After 23 months of construction, the facility was completed on time and within budget. As an added bonus, the construction of the data center provided a welcome boost to the local economy by employing nearly 400 construction workers at the peak of construction.