It was all smiles as the three levels of government announced a new influenza vaccine manufacturing facility is coming to Toronto.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford was asked about his long-standing criticism of the federal government’s vaccine rollout.

“Are we going to have, as a big family,  a few differences, sure we are,” said Ford at the news conference announcing the new Sanofi vaccine plant. “It’s incredible how collaborative we’ve been at all three levels of government.”

Drugmaker Sanofi is building a new flu vaccine plant able to produce enough vaccine doses to support the entire Canadian population within about six months of a new a pandemic being identified.

The Ontario government will contribute $55M to the project, while Ottawa will spend $415M. Sanofi will invest more than $455M as well as create and maintain more than 1,200 highly skilled jobs in Canada.

Federal Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says this investment will have an impact for generations to come.

The new facility is expected to be up and running in 2027.