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Part of Health facilities

Calgary Radiopharmaceutical Centre

Providing southern Albertans better access to diagnostic imaging and the treatments for cancer, cardiac, and neurological conditions.

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Health facilities

Overview

The Calgary Radiopharmaceutical Centre (CRC) will be home to Calgary’s first and Alberta’s third cyclotron. This new facility will support the treatment of diseases including cancer, cardiac, and neurological conditions.

The Development Permit for the facility was approved by the City of Calgary marking a significant milestone for the Project (DP2024-07321).

The facility design is finalized and was submitted to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) for approval in April 2025. This application will ensure the federal requirements for housing the cyclotron within this type of facility are followed. Construction of CRC is anticipated to be complete by Fall 2027. Following the completion of construction, internal commissioning and green space reclamation activities will begin.

Project updates

June 2025

The Infrastructure Ministry continues to work with the CNSC to secure the necessary permits for the facility.

Work has begun on site including fencing the project area, removing vegetation, fibre line and water line relocations, site grading, the removal of retaining wall, shoring and excavation. Construction will continue into the summer months and we encourage you to sign up for project email notices to stay informed as we move through construction.

Throughout the project Hospital Drive NW will be closed at the project site. For everyone’s safety, we kindly ask all those in the area to observe posted signage. Your cooperation helps ensure the well-being of both the public and staff working on the project.

To ensure the facility complies with federal regulations, an air dispersion modeling report was completed. The report found the new facility would pose no risk to residents in the area. The report found the new facility would pose no risk to residents in the area. Read the air dispersion model report.

Get informed

Rendering of Calgary Radiopharmaceutical Centre 1
Rendering of Calgary Radiopharmaceutical Centre 2
Rendering of Calgary Radiopharmaceutical Centre 3

For additional details: 

Radiopharmacy

A radiopharmacy is a specialized facility that handles and dispenses radioactive materials.

Cyclotron

A cyclotron is a machine within the radiopharmacy that will produce the radioactive isotopes used within Foothills Medical Centre (FMC).

Facility safety

Cyclotrons adhere to stringent safety regulations enforced by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC). The facility incorporates multiple safety layers, including shielding, containment, and operational monitoring.

Safety begins with the facility's design, including concrete walls which will be approximately 2.0 meters (~7 feet)  thick. The facility employs a sophisticated radiation monitoring system including detectors, handheld survey meters, and contamination meters, to prevent accidental removal of radioactive material.

A containment system prevents the release of radioactive gases into the atmosphere, and they are held until they decay into non-radioactive elements. For more information about safety regulation visit CNSC.

Alberta Health Services (AHS) is responsible for the public disclosure of any incidents that may occur on site through operation of this facility. To view the notification and disclosure requirements, visit AHS Cyclotron Public Disclosure.

Facility design

The Ministry of Infrastructure worked closely with architects and engineers to finalize the facility layout.

Changes have been made throughout the design process to address safety, operational requirements, and lessons learned from a similar facility in Edmonton and to address cost savings.

The size of the building meets operational needs while considering available space, safety and cost.

Facility operation

The facility will be operated by AHS and utmost care will be undertaken by Foothills Medical Centre Staff to ensure its safe operations.

  • Existing Alberta-based Cyclotrons

    There are 2 existing facilities in Alberta, both located in Edmonton, that have been manufacturing many of these isotopes for use in the province.

    One of the Cyclotron facilities is located at the University of Alberta’s South Campus and the other is located at the Edmonton Cross Cancer Institute.

    In addition to providing radiopharmaceuticals to Edmonton and the north and central zones of the Province, the Edmonton facilities will serve as a backup to the CRC.

  • Products of the new cyclotron

    The new cyclotron at CRC will produce Fluorine-18, Carbon-11, and Gallium-68. These isotopes will be used in diagnostic imaging, such as PET and SPECT scans, aiding in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, cardiac, and neurological conditions.

  • Transport to and from Foothills Medical Centre (FMC)

    The Calgary Radiopharmaceutical Program at FMC has been receiving/shipping radioactive materials on a daily basis for approximately 40 years without incident.

    Radioactive materials that are leaving the CRC are under the oversight of the CNSC and Transport Canada. These materials will be placed into proper sealed containers, placed in delivery vehicles at the shipping and receiving door, and will follow appropriate transportation corridors to deliver materials where they are required in southern Alberta. Working with the City of Calgary, changes were made to the loading area to accept vehicles from the east, which will improve safety by avoiding left-hand turns into the facility.

    Traffic volume coming in and leaving the site is not anticipated to change.

  • Transport within the Foothills Medical Centre

    AHS employs highly qualified, trained nuclear energy workers and officers to ensure regulations and policies are strictly followed.

    Radioactive materials will be moved in 2 ways within FMC.

    First, materials will be sealed in proper containers and carried on carts through designated areas and corridors.

    Second, sealed materials will be loaded into transport vans at the shipping and receiving door and transported safely to the specific building where they're needed.

  • Wastewater and facility waste

    Water

    Any water exposed to radioactive materials would be disposed of safely.

    Air particulates

    Producing isotopes is a routine process that is managed in a contained area with precision and strict operational control. Occasionally, small amounts of radioactive particles are released – using powerful, controlled air dispersion technology. These particles pose no risk to the public and will have no radioactive attributes once the small amount of material reaches ground level. These systems will be regularly checked by AHS staff and adjusted to ensure everything runs safely.

    An air dispersion modeling study has been completed. The report found the new facility would pose no risk to residents in the area. Read the air dispersion model report.

  • Decommission process

    An evaluation will determine if the facility needs to be changed, upgraded, or removed as technology continues to change. 

    If decommissioning is required, nearby residents would be kept informed.

Construction process

Site preparation, planning, and investigations are underway. Work will be undertaken in three main stages.

  • Stage 1 (Complete) – Site preparation and demolition: Fencing has been installed at site. This stage requires levelling of the site and will involve the removal of soil, an existing retaining wall, relocation of fibre and water lines, and trees to prepare the site for building construction.
  • Stage 2 (Underway) – Site grading, earthworks and shoring to prepare for building construction. This will include an increase in construction activities at site and will require closure of Hospital Drive NW just south of the site to be closed to motorists but will remain open to pedestrians.
  • Stage 3 – CRC Facility: Now that the Development/Building Permit has been received and the design approval for the cyclotron is with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, construction of the physical building is anticipated to begin summer 2025.

Construction impacts

Construction activities may cause short-term impacts to the neighbouring community. Our team will endeavour to minimize those impacts where possible.

If you have any questions or concerns during construction, please do not hesitate to reach out to the project team at 1-888-989-8810 or by email [email protected].

  • Greenspace and walking path

    The existing green space and walking path would be closed during construction.

  • Trees

    To ensure the safety of construction crews and accessing the site, many of the trees in the project area/green space will be removed. Some trees located on the eastern side of the space will be fenced and protected from construction activities.

    Infrastructure is working closely with AHS to develop a plan to address trees lost due to project construction. The goal is to re-establish a treed green space for patients, staff, and community use once the facility is operational.

  • Traffic

    Residents will be notified according to protocols when a road closure will occur due to construction.

    There may be increased traffic associated with the construction.

  • Noise, vibration, light pollution, or dust

    Noise

    Noise will be minimized where possible and construction will occur within the City of Calgary noise bylaws.

    Vibration

    Vibrations may be felt by nearby properties and within the facility. When construction of this nature occurs, those in the area will be informed so they can plan accordingly.

    Lighting

    When necessary, nighttime lights would be used for the safety of our workers. If residents are affected by the lighting, they could contact the project team (details below) so they can make adjustments and limit the impact to residents. LED lights have been installed to address walkway concerns in and around the site.

    Dust

    Dust suppression (such as water) would be implemented to limit potential spread when necessary.

  • Hours

    Construction would take place between 7 am and 10 pm, standard construction hours according to City of Calgary bylaws. We will notify community members if work outside these hours are required.

  • Community artwork

    AHS is committed to working with local community members to discuss potential art installation at this facility following construction.

Sign up for updates

Complete the form below to sign up for project updates.

CRC project survey

To help us improve our materials and the information we share, take 2 minutes to complete our project survey.

Take the CRC survey

Contact

Connect with the project team:

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 1-888-989-8810

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