SNOLAB Gets 28.6 Million From Federal Government

By: Nick Liard

The federal government is investing over 28 million dollars into Greater Sudbury’s SNOLAB, through Canada Foundation for Innovation’s Major Science Initiative Fund.

SNOLAB, which is an underground research facility at Vale’s Creighton Mine, was one of 17 research facilities supported and the 28.6 million will help sustain the facility for a three year period also allowing them to hire 21 new full-time employees.

SNOLAB Director, Nigel Smith says the investment allows them to focus less on operations and more on research and innovation.

SNOLAB has contributed 358 million dollars to the Canadian economy, which translates to around 45 million dollars per year.

Smith says the facility that’s located more than 2 km underground, has drawn investment and people from around the world and will continue to do so in the coming years.

Research done at the facility at Vale’s Creighton Mine, led to Arthur B. McDonald’s 2015 Nobel Prize in physics.

SNOLAB currently employs 75 people and the investment will bring that number up to 96.