The Parliamentary Campus: The Long Term Vision and Plan for the Parliamentary Precinct—Annual Report 2022 to 2023

On this page

• Projects
  • The Centre Block rehabilitation project
  • East Block Phase 1
  • Block 1
  • Block 2
  • 40 Elgin
  • Recapitalization program, Repair, Asset and Fit-Up Programs
• Parliamentary Campus Infrastructure
  • Building Components and Connectivity Program
  • Triad material handling node
  • Parliamentary campus tunnels
• Wellington Street

Projects

The Centre Block rehabilitation project

The restoration and modernization of the Centre Block and construction of the new Parliament Welcome Centre is the largest and most complex heritage restoration project ever undertaken in Canada and one of the largest globally. The project is also responsible for landscape upgrades to the forecourt and pleasure grounds adjacent to the Centre Block. In addition to providing the necessary infrastructure to support modern parliamentary operations, the project aims to demonstrate leadership in sustainability, accessibility, and heritage restoration. In alignment with these initiatives, the current design continues to meet the requirements to achieve LEED Platinum, Rick Hansen Gold and WELL certifications.

Design progress

In collaboration with Parliament, Public Services and Procurement Canada continues to work with the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada’s Independent Design Review Panel of eminent Canadian architects and design professionals, to provide design advice to ensure a world-class design.

The schematic design for the Centre Block, Parliament Welcome Centre and Landscape was completed in 2022. Subsequent to these design milestones, the project received Federal Land Use Review and Approval for the Centre Block and Parliament Welcome Centre in fall 2023, with the Landscape approvals expected in summer 2023. As design and construction continues to advance, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) has focused on the decision-making that is required to complete the detailed design and maintain construction momentum. As cited within the 2023 OAG report, PSPC uses flexible management approaches to reduce cost and schedule risks. One example of this includes the decision to separate the detailed design deliverables into three design submissions to ensure construction activities can continue to advance. Executing design and construction activities in parallel allows the project to get work done as early as possible, reducing the potential for downstream schedule risks.

Design effort has transitioned from schematic design to more detailed design work that will be used to tender construction packages so that the work can be realized. The first detailed design submission was completed in fall 2022 for the Centre Block and Parliament Welcome Centre and included information on the major systems within the buildings, structural upgrades and architectural layouts including but not limited to elevator, stair, and washroom placements and preliminary tenant fit up layouts. The second design deliverable is expected in fall or winter 2023 and is targeting 100 percent completion of detailed design for the building structure including walls, floors, and roof as well as the building’s mechanical and infrastructure.

Construction progress

The return to regular operations following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and convoy protests was met by unexpected work stoppages in May and June of 2022, due to rolling province wide trade strikes. This strike action halted all major construction activities on-site involving crane, equipment and elevator operators, demolition labourers, and carpenters. While these strikes caused short term schedule impacts, the critical path of the overall schedule has been maintained and the project team worked with the Construction Manager, a Joint Venture of PCL and Ellis Don to regain momentum for ongoing construction activities.

Key construction milestones as of March 2023 included:

• Main excavation for the Parliament Welcome Centre was substantially completed and borehole drilling for the geothermal system launched.
• On the exterior of the Centre Block, masonry rehabilitation of the North Wall was completed and the east façade scaffolding completed in March 2023.
• On the interior of the Centre Block, demolition and abatement activities progressed from 65% to approximately 85%. Approximately 9.6 million kilograms or 21 million pounds of abated material had been removed from the building.
• In terms of heritage restoration, 22 of the 53 Carillion bells were carefully removed from the Peace Tower and transported to the Netherlands for restoration. Marble, woodwork and murals continued to be removed on site and the restoration of stained glass and light fixtures progressed off site.
• Design and mobilization of the temporary shoring (approximately 800 piles) to support the Centre Block during excavation work underneath the heritage building as well as planning for the removal and rebuild of the existing Level 1 floor slab.

East Block phase 1 and 2

The restoration of the masonry envelope of the East Block’s 1867 wing was substantially completed as of March 31, 2022. This targeted urgent repairs to four areas within the exterior envelope: the southwest tower, the southeast tower entrance (Agriculture entrance), the south entrance and the Governor General’s Entrance.

In July 2022, a study was completed to assess modifications required to make the East Block Governor General’s Entrance universally accessible. The planned upgrades will ensure inclusive, barrier-free building access for all. Part of this barrier-free access will include a vertical lift to make the three stair risers universally accessible in the Governor General’s Entrance vestibule. The project is seeking to introduce an invisible lift for the first time in Canada, which will also be considered a pilot for the Centre Block rehabilitation project. An invisible lift integrates seamlessly into a heritage staircase. The licensing approval process will be commencing in early 2024. Construction is scheduled to start in 2024-25.  

Work was also undertaken under the ongoing screening and investigation program to identify critical issues that need to be addressed prior to the East Block’s major restoration and modernization.

Block 1 (100 Sparks)

Block 1 is located on Wellington Street directly across from the East Block between Elgin and Metcalfe streets. The Block consists of buildings housing the Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council, as well as other small heritage buildings facing advanced levels of deterioration. Many of these buildings are now over 100 years old and have never undergone a major rehabilitation. For example, two of the key facilities, the Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council building was constructed in 1884, and the Blackburn building, a core facility for the Privy Council Office, was built in 1911. The Block 1 Redevelopment project will restore and modernize these buildings, and transform them into an integrated facility, providing modern accommodations for the Office of the Prime Minister and the Privy Council.

In preparation for the Block 1 Redevelopment project, swing space must be provided to relocate occupants from Block 1. Public Services and Procurement Canada acquired the buildings at 100 Sparks and 30 Metcalfe from the National Capital Commission for this purpose, with redevelopment work targeted to begin once the sequence for the next phase of the LTVP projects is confirmed.

Block 2

Block 2 is an entire city block located immediately south of Parliament Hill. Bounded by Metcalfe, Wellington, O’Connor and Sparks streets, Block 2 faces the Centre Block and Peace Tower to the north and is considered a threshold between Parliament and the urban core. The Block 2 project encompasses the redevelopment of approximately 80,000 square metres of space.

It is a keystone project that will restore and modernize functionally obsolete and deteriorated heritage buildings and transform them into sustainable and accessible facilities for Parliament. This redevelopment will both serve more immediate and longer-term needs for Parliament. In the short-term this redeveloped space will enable key buildings such as the East Block and Confederation Building to be emptied so that they can be restored and modernized. In the longer term, it will become permanent parliamentary accommodations, enabling the consolidation of Parliament into a coherent and integrated campus.

This redevelopment will also in some senses complete the parliamentary precinct by adding a new fourth wall to the parliamentary square. To ensure that this work represents design excellence, and taking inspiration from the first design competition held in 1859 for the original Parliament Buildings, PSPC launched a design competition in the spring of 2021 to generate innovative ideas for the redevelopment of Block 2. The design competition received strong interest from industry with over 30 teams responding to the request for qualifications.

The design concept by Zeidler Architecture Inc. of Toronto, in association with David Chipperfield Architects of London, United Kingdom, was selected by an independent jury as the winner in spring 2022. PSPC awarded the design contract for the project in 2023. The design firm is complemented by Two Row Architects—an Indigenous firm owned and operated from the Six Nations reserve in southern Ontario.

PSPC will award the Environmental Consulting Services Contract and tender the construction manager contract in summer 2023, with the target of awarding a contract in early 2024, so that construction can be launched later in 2024. To prepare for construction, PSPC will also conduct on-site investigations and complete gap analysis and technical studies in 2023.

40 Elgin

The swing space located at 40 Elgin Street is a key enabler to the completion of the Block 2 since it enables the Victoria Building, located at the block’s western edge, to be emptied, which in turn will enable the construction of Block 2’s West Complex. PSPC and the Senate Administration are in the process of refining and finalizing Senate of Canada requirements for 40 Elgin Street.

An Architectural and Engineering Consultant Services contract was awarded to complete the design. The functional program and schematic design to accommodate the additional 45 Parliamentary Office Units and to relocate the Senate of Canada administrative functions within the building has progressed. A Construction Management contract is targeted to be tendered by the end of the 2023-24 fiscal year.

Recapitalization program, repair, asset and fit-up programs

The Parliamentary Precinct’s Recapitalization Program acts to preserve and extend the operational life of buildings that have not yet been fully rehabilitated. The associated projects serve a number of purposes. They are designed to stop or reduce ongoing deterioration, respond to urgent building system requirements, address health and safety issues, and reduce the cost and complexity of future major rehabilitation projects by leveraging the recapitalization work.

Similarly, the Repair, Asset and Fit-up Programs allow PSPC to be the best stewards of their buildings by implementing asset component repairs, life cycle replacement, and ongoing client partner accommodation requests. These programs directly support parliamentary operations, demonstrating sound stewardship, and providing best value, consistent with the Government of Canada’s socio-economic and environmental objectives. These programs also enable PSPC to maintain its portfolio of Parliamentary buildings in advance of major restoration and modernization efforts.

Parliamentary Campus Infrastructure

Building Components and Connectivity Program

The Building Components and Connectivity program implements projects that help modernize campus-wide communication and information technology. These various projects allow more than 30 buildings within the Precinct grounds to meet parliamentarians’ modern business needs. Projects are coordinated and integrated with other LTVP projects as they roll out to ensure efficient and cost-effective delivery of building connectivity elements.

Completed in 2022–2023:

• Simultaneous Interpretation Console Upgrades—Phase 2: Providing the Parliamentary Interpretation Service with efficient and safe interpretation systems and consoles within the Parliamentary Precinct to enable safe and high-quality remote interpretation services to Parliament.

Implementation on-going in 2022–2023:

• Information Technology Backbone: Expanding the existing information technology infrastructure at 155 Queen Street to fulfill the need for a diverse parliamentary network pathway to serve the entire building and its occupants.
• Information Technology Infrastructure Base Building Upgrades—Phase 2: Aligning and modernizing information technology equipment rooms and associated in-building pathway infrastructure in the Parliamentary Precinct.
• Data Centre Risk Mitigation—Phase 2: Establishing a disaster recovery site to deploy information technology infrastructure and enable technologies to lessen disruption risks.
• Video Surveillance and Security Systems: Easing the transfer and merger of the video surveillance and security systems, including launching a preventative security network designed for current and future threat environments.

Planning and design in 2022–2023:

• Core Data Centre Colocation, (previously Integrated Technology Centre): Consolidating and relocating the House of Commons Data Centres into a leased facility located outside the Parliamentary Precinct.
• Multimedia Operations and Distribution Centre: Combining the Parliamentary Partners’ multimedia and distribution operations within a single location to support the monitoring, controlling and distribution needs of the chambers’ and committee rooms’ multimedia services.
• Permanent East Interconnect Facility: Relocating and enhancing the current East Interconnect Facility in the East Block to allow for the future rehabilitation of the East Block without impacting connectivity services for parliamentarians.
• Next Generation Network Infrastructure: Modifying the delivery model for parliamentary telephony to eliminate the cost of operating traditional phone lines through external service providers.

For all information technology (IT) projects, the House of Commons acts as the technical authority meaning that in addition to establishing functional requirements, the House of Commons’ Information Technology Project Management Office (ITPMO) plays a hands on role in guiding the planning, design and implementation of these projects. Tight collaboration between Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), the House of Commons and other Parliamentary Partners is critical for success on these projects, which are critical to support continued efforts to create a modern IT enabled Parliament.

Triad material handling node

As a component of the LTVP, the Triad Material Handling Node project has been recommended to accommodate and modernize the movement of goods on Parliament Hill, as well as to better support the safe, secure and efficient operations of Parliament, including the reduction of vehicle circulation on the Hill. The nodal approach being planned and implemented will create significant efficiencies, because it is a shift away from material handling infrastructure being designed and built into every building. In the future, the plan is to incorporate three material handling nodes into the parliamentary campus.

In November 2022, PSPC received approval to conduct functional programming in collaboration with the Parliamentary Partners and other stakeholders integral to the successful completion of the project. PSPC and Partners will complete the functional program and determine the scope to be included for the feasibility study in 2024–2025.

Parliamentary campus tunnels

A key feature of an integrated parliamentary campus is a secure tunnel system to facilitate the safe movement of goods and accredited personnel between facilities. This system will also enable a consolidated or hub approach to material handling facilities, which will create space, operational and cost efficiencies. PSPC and the Parliamentary Partners have endorsed the Parliamentary Campus Tunnels (PCT), a looped Precinct interconnected tunnel system that will link the parliamentary triad of Centre, East and West Blocks with the facilities on the south side of Wellington Street.

In the past year, PSPC initiated planning work with the Parliamentary Partners to confirm their functional requirements for movement of goods and pedestrians, as well as core building connection points to position the tunnels. An Architectural and Engineering Services contract was awarded to undertake studies that will inform the design and construction work.

Wellington Street

The Parliamentary Precinct is a central feature in our nation’s capital. Its safety and security are critical to the operations of Canada’s democratic institutions. It must also remain a place for all Canadians to enjoy and feel welcome. The ongoing restoration and modernization of the Parliamentary Precinct, as well as considerations following this past year’s “Freedom Convoy” protests, requires an integrated plan to guide future development and to ensure Wellington Street is appropriately integrated into the parliamentary campus. Wellington used to serve as a boundary for Parliament, but now runs directly through the parliamentary campus. Currently, approximately 40% of parliamentarians have offices on the south side of Wellington Street, including the Office of the Prime Minister, and that will increase to approximately 50% within a decade.

In 2022, illegal protests blockaded parts of downtown Ottawa. The protests highlighted longstanding security risks in the Precinct. While these are longstanding risks, the protests emphasized the increasing risk associated with a city-owned street running through the heart of Canada’s Parliament and the associated challenges stemming from a complex web of ownership, security and policing mandates in this space.

In July 2022, parliamentary, federal and municipal stakeholders set up governance committees to address the challenges raised by the illegal protests and explore ways of keeping the area safe while ensuring the Precinct remains open and accessible for all. The work of these committees has advanced over the last year in alignment with the observations and recommendations of the 19th Report of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs (PROC) and the final report of the Public Order Emergency Commission (POEC), which included, amongst other actions, expanding the boundary of the Precinct, transferring city streets to the federal government, and closing Wellington Street to vehicular traffic.

A key commitment made in the Government’s response to the Procedure and House Affairs study was to engage the City of Ottawa on a potential transfer of Wellington Street to the federal government. This can also serve as a critical first step to addressing the recommendations more broadly. Formal discussions were launched in April 2023 and remain ongoing. Serving as a key input into these discussions, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), the City of Ottawa and the National Capital Commission have jointly launched a transportation study evaluating the potential impacts of permanently reinstating vehicle restrictions on Wellington Street, between Bank Street and Elgin Street, with the intent of formally integrating Wellington Street into our planning for the Parliamentary Precinct.