Alberta is putting $125 million toward a new Edmonton facility for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and another $4.4 million toward toxicology equipment, saying the investments are meant to speed up death investigations and provide faster answers for grieving families.
New Edmonton facility planned
The province announced Tuesday that Budget 2026 includes $125 million over four years for the new Edmonton facility.
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Budget 2026 also includes $4.4 million to replace and upgrade toxicology equipment.
The new Edmonton facility is expected to include expanded and specialized space for examinations and autopsies, improved laboratory and storage capacity, and an enhanced ability to respond to complex cases and mass casualty events, according to the province.
“By building a new Edmonton facility and upgrading the tools used by our forensic experts, we are strengthening a service that Albertans rely on in some of their most difficult moments, helping families get more timely answers, supporting the justice system and maintaining the highest standards of medical examiner services,” Justice Minister Mickey Amery said in a Tuesday news release.
Current building dates back to 1983
The building housing the Edmonton Office of the Chief Medical Examiner was built in 1983, according to the province.
Since then, Alberta’s population has more than doubled, the province said.
Infrastructure Minister Martin Long said replacing the older infrastructure is “about more than expanding space.”
“Replacing infrastructure built in 1983 with a modern facility is about more than expanding space – it’s about helping families,” Long said in the release. “This $125-million investment delivers the new, critical infrastructure needed to provide faster answers and ensure Alberta families are supported during their most difficult moments.”
The new facility is expected to take four years to complete.
Toxicology equipment to be upgraded
The province said the new toxicology equipment will improve the identification and measurement of alcohol, drugs and opioids in deceased individuals.
The upgraded equipment is also meant to improve detection of new and emerging synthetic drugs, according to the province.
Alberta’s Chief Medical Examiner Akmal Coetzee-Khan said the investment strengthens medical examiner services across the province.
“Investing in a new Edmonton facility for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner strengthens the foundation of medical examiner services across Alberta,” Coetzee-Khan said in the release. “This modern, purpose-built space will help improve efficiency and support more timely, detailed investigations, so we can provide answers to grieving families and meet the needs of Albertans and our justice system for years to come.”
The toxicology lab also provides services in certain cases from the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, according to the province.