Modernization of Parliament (Parliamentary Precinct): Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates—April 29, 2022
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Status of the Long Term Vision and Plan for the Parliamentary Precinct
Key messages
- In partnership with parliament, we are restoring the Parliamentary Precinct for future generations of Canadians, and making it modern, safer, greener and more accessible
- Our focus is on restoring the Centre Block and transforming the Parliamentary Precinct into an integrated parliamentary campus
The Centre Block Rehabilitation Program
- The Centre Block is the largest and most complex heritage rehabilitation ever undertaken in Canada
- To ensure this heritage icon can serve Canadians for another century, it needs to be taken apart carefully and rebuilt to integrate modern standards including a reinforced structure, seismic upgrading, and new building and digital systems
- The restored Centre Block will be more accessible and secure through the addition of a Parliament Welcome Centre. The Centre Block will also be transformed from one of the government’s highest energy users and greenhouse gas (GHG)-emitting buildings into a carbon neutral facility
- The project is advancing well with construction activities now focused on excavation work for the new Parliament Welcome Centre, interior demolition and the abatement of hazardous materials and masonry rehabilitation
Centre block Trompe-l’oeil
- As one of Canada's most recognizable landmarks, the Parliamentary Precinct is a key driver for the National Capital Region’s tourism industry, which attracts approximately 3 million visitors each year
- Working hand-in-hand with parliament, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) will be installing a decorative tarp that replicates the image of the Centre Block, known as a Trompe-l’oeil. Both the House of Commons and the Senate approved the installation of the Trompe-l’oeil
- The trompe-l'oeil will mitigate the visual impact of construction activities on the Centre Block to provide a positive visitor experience from both sides of the Ottawa River
- The City of Ottawa, the City of Gatineau, Ottawa Tourism, Tourisme Outaouais, and the National Capital Commission have all expressed strong support for this initiative
- Installation of the trompe-l'oeil will begin spring 2022, starting with the north façade of the Centre Block. The tarps will extend around the sides and the front of the Centre Block as the Masonry Rehabilitation Program progresses
- The Peace Tower clock image on the Trompe-l’oeil will be set to 11:45 am, which represents the start time of the 1927 inauguration of the Peace Tower and carillion
Parliamentary engagement, governance and Senate decisions
- My department is working hand in hand with Parliament to deliver the Long Term Vision and Plan
- As part of this collaborative process, each House of Parliament establishes project requirements and priorities to support their parliamentary operations
- My mandate is to work with each House of Parliament to ensure that parliamentary requirements are being met in a manner that preserves our heritage, can fit within the available space and ensures value for money
- Public Services and Procurement Canada continues to work collaboratively with the Senate to meet their needs in a cost efficient manner that respects our heritage buildings
Convoy protest
- Safety and security is the top priority for Public Services and Procurement Canada
- Public Services and Procurement Canada worked closely with parliamentary, federal and municipal partners to protect our national monuments and buildings, and provide logistical support during the protests in Ottawa
- Working with the partners in parliament, after a 3 week pause in construction, we were able to safely resume operations on the Centre Block construction site
- Public Services and Procurement Canada is working with the construction manager to determine the financial implications resulting from the Centre Block construction site closure
Block 2 redevelopment
- The redevelopment of Block 2 is a critical step in our collective plan for the Parliamentary Precinct, because it will enable us to empty and then restore both the East Block and the confederation buildings. This redeveloped space will then enable us to consolidate parliamentary operations into a consolidated campus
- Public Services and Procurement Canada, in partnership with parliament, is leading a design competition to transform this entire city block of aging and underutilized buildings into an integrated and sustainable facility to support the needs of a 21st century Parliament
- An independent jury assembled by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, comprised of design professionals, members of academia, civil society and parliamentarians, has recommended the first, second and third place designs to my department. The results of the competition are anticipated to be publicly announced in late spring 2022
- The recent decision by the Senate of Canada to empty the Victoria Building earlier and include it in the redevelopment of Block 2 will reduce the overall costs of our efforts to restore and modernize Canada’s Parliamentary Precinct by $65 million
Indigenous Peoples Space
- Public Services and Procurement Canada continues to support Crown-Indigenous Relations, the Algonquin Nation and the national Indigenous organizations in developing a national space for Indigenous Peoples’ in the Parliamentary Precinct
Key data points
- Approximately $4.2 billion has been invested into the Parliamentary Precinct to date
- This investment has created over 60,000 jobs with approximately 4,000 of those jobs attributed to the Centre Block rehabilitation project
- The Centre Block rehabilitation is expected to create 70,000 jobs in the engineering, construction, architecture and interior design, masonry, and restoration sectors, providing economic benefits for Canadians
- Currently, there are 400 workers on site daily, which is expected to increase to 1,500 at the project’s peak
- Over 500 companies from across Canada are already working on the Centre Block rehabilitation project and 50 initial internships have been created from 10 Canadian colleges and universities to date
- The ongoing restoration and modernization work has reduced greenhouse gas emissions in Canada’s Parliamentary Precinct by 66% from 2005 levels, and we are on track for reductions of 95% by 2040
Background
The Long Term Vision and Plan (LTVP) was first approved in 2001 for the restoration and modernization of Canada’s Parliamentary Precinct. All major projects continue to track on time and budget.
With a goal of reaching of 5% of procurement with Indigenous businesses, Public Services and Procurement Canada has established agreements with organizations such as the National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association, the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business, and others, to assist with fulfilling that target as it pertains to the Parliamentary Precinct.
The restored West Block and Senate of Canada Building and the new Parliament Welcome Centre, were transferred to parliament in fall 2018. Efforts are now focused on restoring and modernizing Centre Block and transforming the precinct into an integrated parliamentary campus that addresses parliament’s long-term requirements, including material handling, the movement of people and goods, accessibility, sustainability, and security.
Centre Block rehabilitation project
The Centre Block work is the largest and most complex heritage rehabilitation ever undertaken in Canada. Construction work is progressing well, in tandem with the careful removal or in situ protection of the more than 20,000 heritage assets. The selective interior demolition and the removal of hazardous materials is now 65% complete, which includes the removal of approximately 16 million pounds of asbestos containing material to date. Excavation work for the new Parliament Welcome Centre is also progressing well and is approximately 65% complete with over 27,000 truckloads of rock removed from the site. Design work is also well advanced, with the final schematic design submitted to the National Capital Commission in April 2022.
Masonry rehabilitation of the north facade of the Centre Block has begun, and is now approximately 25% complete, which represents approximately 5% of the overall masonry work. Masonry rehabilitation includes the repair and repointing of the entire building, including the Peace Tower. This work will involve the removal of approximately 35% of the stones to conduct repairs and in some cases the replacement of damaged stone.
A tarp is required to create a climate-controlled and safe environment for this important work. Tarping will be in place for several years for the duration of the masonry rehabilitation program. A decorative tarp that replicates the image of the Centre Block will be installed, starting with the north façade this spring and eventually extending around the sides and the front of the building as the masonry rehabilitation program progresses. The cost for a standard tarp on all façades of the building is approximately $1.5 million. The incremental costs associated with the trompe-l'oeil is approximately $2.4 million.
Block 2 redevelopment
PSPC is redeveloping the 3 city blocks (blocks 1, 2 and 3) facing Parliament Hill to establish a modern integrated campus. The redesigned block will provide office space for the Senate and the House of Commons and will allow for the future consolidation of parliamentary accommodations, including space for the Library of Parliament. The decade-long transformation will begin with block 2 and is a key priority of the LTVP.
Block 2 will be permanent space, but will also act as swing space that will allow for the rehabilitation of the East Block and confederation Buildings. This work will create 2 new infills on each side of the Indigenous Peoples Space (the former American Embassy), and see the redevelopment of adjacent buildings, creating large flexible interconnected complexes, all while preserving the overall heritage character of the block. Over the coming year, PSPC will work with the Senate and House of Commons to finalize the sequence for the next tranche of the LTVP.
Within block 2, the Victoria Building was the only parliamentary space not already part of the block 2 scope but still requiring rehabilitation. It was not initially included as part of the block 2 program because there was no available swing space in the area. Through ongoing planning, additional swing space for Victoria tenants was identified at 40 Elgin, allowing PSPC to advance Victoria to be rehabilitated as part of the block 2 works. 40 Elgin already accommodates Senator offices.
Advancing work in Victoria results in significant cost savings overall—approximately $65M in hard cost savings alone compared to the baseline option, and approximately $200M in cost savings compared to advancing the East Block project schedule instead of Victoria. PSPC acquired the additional space in 40 Elgin by taking over a lease from the National Capital Commission (NCC) for this space, at a cost of $137M over a 20-year period. The end state of 40 Elgin will be 63 Senator offices and related support services and 87 parking spaces.
The committee room and Parliamentary office approach approved by the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration (CIBA) addresses the Senate’s office requirements in a way that no longer necessitates a partial infill of Centre Block’s east courtyard. Further, the design approach for the east and west courtyards will enclose these previously open—but unused and inaccessible—courtyards with glass roofs and leverage them to create a fully-accessible path to the Senate and House of Commons Chamber public galleries. This approach will maintain their original symmetry and function, enabling essential light to enter the Centre Block. Once enclosed under glass, the courtyards will also become a key contributor to lowering Centre Block’s carbon footprint by creating a more sustainable, energy efficient and climate-resilient space.
Block 2 is in its final stages of a design competition. Once the design competition is completed and a concept design is selected, PSPC will evaluate the winning design and identify next steps, including the development of a project schedule. As part of stage 2 of the design competition, all 6 competitors will be required to present their design schemes in a public forum. Public presentations will be held in spring 2022, and will be fully virtual. Follow the architectural design competition for Block 2.
Indigenous Peoples Space at 100 Wellington
As part of the Government of Canada’s commitment to renew relationships with Indigenous Peoples and advance reconciliation, in 2017 the Prime Minister announced that 100 Wellington street (the former United States Embassy) would be transformed into a national space for Indigenous peoples. The project also includes the re-development of the former CIBC building located at 119 Sparks street and an infill space between the 2 buildings. These are both federally designated heritage buildings.
Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNA) is the project lead on the development of the space. PSPC will continue to support CIRNA as it works with the Algonquin Nation and the national Indigenous organizations to develop this national space for Indigenous peoples in the Parliamentary Precinct.
Advancing accessibility and sustainability
PSPC is committed to making the Parliamentary Precinct a model for universal accessibility excellence. It will achieve, and in some cases exceed, accessibility standards. The West Block and Senate of Canada Building include barrier-free access and improved accessibility features in the chambers, public galleries, offices, meeting places, washrooms and corridors. The LTVP is reducing the government’s carbon footprint. PSPC has reduced greenhouse gas levels in the precinct by 66% from 2005 levels and is on track for reductions of 80% by 2030 and 95% by 2040, while also currently diverting more than 90% of demolition materials from landfills.
Rehabilitation of the Supreme Court of Canada and the West Memorial Building
In this section
Key messages
- More than $1 billion is being invested in the rehabilitation of the Supreme Court of Canada and West Memorial Building
- When completed, these buildings will provide modernized workplaces that are safe, secure, accessible and environmentally sustainable, while conserving their heritage value
- These projects will create jobs by creating employment opportunities for Canadians in construction, manufacturing, and professional services
- All measures to ensure the continuous delivery of operations in the Supreme Court of Canada Building are in place, including the monitoring of key building components and pursuing urgent repair and maintenance
- PSPC has been working with the construction manager to hire Indigenous firms and staff during the West Memorial Building construction phase. The Supreme Court of Canada building rehabilitation project will also include Indigenous participation, through upcoming tendering processes in the fields of architecture, engineering, construction and support services
Key data points
- The West Memorial Building (WMB) will serve as interim accommodation for occupants of the Supreme Court of Canada Building (SCCB) from 2024 to 2032, while the SCCB rehabilitation takes place
Background
The WMB has been vacant since 2008 and requires major rehabilitation in order to meet the standards of the National Building Code of Canada. This includes upgrades to meet current building standards for sustainability, health and safety, and accessibility, while at the same time conserving its heritage character. Demolition and enabling work started in fall 2019, and construction started in April 2020.
The contract award to Moriyama & Teshima Architects and Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Planning Ltd. for design and architectural services was announced on February 23, 2018, and the contract to EllisDon Corporation for construction management services was announced on October 26, 2018.
The Supreme Court of Canada Building rehabilitation project is progressing, with the request for qualification for architect/engineer services published on August 19, 2020, and the one for construction manager on August 31, 2020. The occupants are scheduled to move into the West Memorial Building in summer 2024, allowing the Supreme Court of Canada Building’s rehabilitation to start in fall 2024.
Indigenous involvement
West Memorial Building
- A contract was awarded to Adirondack Information Management, an Aboriginal supplier, for project monitoring services such as conducting independent review on the program of work, to assess its effectiveness and identify areas of improvement
- An additional contract was awarded to Indigenous firm Mishkumi for scheduling services
Supreme Court of Canada Building
- The SCCB rehabilitation project, through upcoming tendering processes in the fields of architecture, engineering, construction, and support services, will include a point-rated Indigenous Participation Plan based on lessons learned from other recent major projects with similar initiatives
- The procurement process includes terms and conditions in which bidders will be evaluated on their commitment to acquire goods and services from Indigenous firms or maximize the use of Indigenous employment or training and development
Greening
The rehabilitation projects will reduce the buildings’ impact on the environment by producing less greenhouse gas and using less energy. The renovated buildings will offer a healthy workspace that are more accessible and that supports the wellbeing of employees.
Accessibility
The renovated buildings will be fully accessible by providing solutions such as a ramp at the entrance, elevators, electric adjustable tables, power doors and tactile signage for people with visual and physical disabilities. The projects will also address changes in the Canadian Standards for Accessibility to accommodate a full range of wheeled mobility devices.
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