The new facility is expected to create approximately 300 highly skilled jobs in Toronto
Sanofi has officially opened a $925 million influenza vaccine manufacturing facility at its historic Connaught Campus in North York, Toronto. The new Charles Best Building will serve as a hub for manufacturing, formulation, filling and packaging of Fluzone High-Dose, Sanofi’s influenza vaccine for adults aged 65 and older. The facility is expected to create approximately 300 highly skilled jobs.
The building takes its name from Dr. Charles Best, who co-discovered insulin at the University of Toronto in 1921 alongside Dr. Frederick Banting and later held leadership roles at Connaught Laboratories. The name links the new facility to the site’s long history in Canadian vaccine and biomedical research.
The facility is now fully operational, according to Sanofi, although vaccine production is not expected to begin until early 2027, pending regulatory approval, in preparation for the 2027–2028 flu season.
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The project was first announced on March 31, 2021, as Canada sought to expand domestic vaccine manufacturing capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic. The federal government committed up to $415 million and Ontario contributed $55 million, while Sanofi committed more than $455 million, bringing the total project value to $925 million. At the time, Sanofi also committed to investing at least $79 million annually in Canadian R&D.
Beyond seasonal flu production, the facility is intended to strengthen Canada’s capacity to respond to a future influenza pandemic. It is expected to be able to produce enough pandemic influenza vaccine for the Canadian population within approximately six months of the World Health Organization (WHO) identifying a pandemic strain. The facility adds end-to-end domestic capabilities including formulation, fill-and-finish and inspection.
The opening adds to a series of major Sanofi investments in Toronto. In 2018, Sanofi announced a $500 million Bulk Biologics Facility for vaccines against pertussis, diphtheria and tetanus. By the time the facility opened in May 2024, the project was valued at $800 million. Sanofi also announced a $180 million investment in 2024 to update campus infrastructure, with targets to reduce carbon emissions by 30% and water use by 20%.
More recently, the company announced a $294 million expansion of its Toronto AI Centre of Excellence in May 2026, expected to create 50 jobs and supported by a conditional Ontario grant of up to $5 million.
By 2028, Sanofi’s infrastructure spending in Canada is expected to total more than $2 billion.
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