Quinte Consolidated Courthouse

operational

Opportunity The County of Hastings’ Ontario Court of Justice and Superior Court of Justice services were operating from three locations in Belleville and one in Trenton. In order to generate operational efficiencies, ensure the accessibility of justice services and meet current and growing demand the Government of Ontario decided to build a new courthouse that consolidated services into one location. Innovations The new courthouse was designed with the future in mind and includes a number of features that will accommodate expansion. Results The state-of-the-art, six-storey courthouse consolidates the Superior Court of Justice and Ontario Court of Justice, previously operating in four locations, into one accessible, modern building. Co-located in the new facilities are the Victim Witness Assistance program, the Hasting County Law Association, Adult Probation and Parole, Children’s Aid Society, Legal Aid Ontario, the John Howard Society, Salvation Army and mental health workers. The building was designed and constructed to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification, including the incorporation of a 360 square-metre green roof in order to improve energy conservation and storm water runoff, low-flow water fixtures, motion-sensitive lights in courtrooms, and a design that takes advantage of natural light wherever possible. Flexibility features incorporated into the design include: Courtrooms that can be used for either Superior Court or Ontario Court; Courtrooms with movable and removable public rails and seating, moveable and modular prison boxes, and portable interpretation booths, all of which allow for a variety of courtroom setups; The ability to build extra courtrooms in existing administrative space; and Mobile video conferencing carts that can be used in a variety of spaces. Courtrooms are barrier-free to accommodate persons with physical disabilities. At capacity, about 500 staff and visitors are expected to conduct business at the new facility daily, increasing demand for services in downtown Bellville. Labour and supplies for the construction were drawn largely from Belleville and surrounding communities. The project was a finalist for the P3 Bulletin Best Designed Project-Partnership (2015) and received Honourable Mention by the Canadian Design-Build Institute in 2014. “This new, modern, accessible facility brings together all court services in the region under one roof. The Quinte Courthouse is another example of our continued commitment to delivering courthouses that meet the highest standards for accessibility, greening, security and technology.” - Hon. John Gerretsen, Attorney General

High