Niagara Falls City Council has appointed a contractor to undertake the CA$12m (US$11.75, £7.3m, 8.9m euro) expansion of the Niagara Falls Historical Museum.

The Cambridge, Ontario-based CSL Collaborative Structures won the CA$7.6m (US£7.4m, £4.6m, 5.6m euro) Legacy Project contract, beating off two rivals from Niagara itself.

The project involves the capital expansion and renovation of the Lundy's Lane Historical Museum, a designated historical structure built in 1874. It includes upgrading the existing building to current standards of accessibility and display, and creating a Visitor Centre for the War of 1812 and the Battle of Lundy's Lane in Niagara Falls.

A signature Gateway/Walkway will join two sides of the battlefield currently bisected by a major roadway, intended to symbolise 200 years of peace between Canada and the US.

A spokesperson for the museum said: "Overall, this project will create an all-inclusive visitor experience on the Lundy's Lane Battlefield that merges the community's historical museum, a Battlefield Visitor Centre, self-guided walking trails, the Battle Ground Hotel Museum and battlefield landmarks.

"This CA$12m project will be financed through a federal/provincial/municipal partnership. The Board of Museums is conducting its own capital fundraising campaign of CA$2m (US$1.9m, £1.2m, 1.4m euro) to provide half of the municipal share."

Construction is now expected to begin this month (as opposed to early 2010 as originally slated) and be operational by June 2012, the beginning of the War of 1812 Bicentennial celebrations.