January 1 to March 31, 2023: Quarterly progress report on the Centre Block project
We are restoring and modernizing the Centre Block. We are also designing and building the Parliament Welcome Centre. It is the largest and most complex heritage rehabilitation ever seen in Canada. We estimate the cost to be between $4.5 billion and $5 billion. We aim to complete construction between 2030 and 2031. The Centre Block will reopen about 1 year later. This will allow Parliament to do testing and get the building ready for operations.
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Project health
The following graph provides an overview of the project health based on approved cost, scope and schedule, each ranging from 0 (low impact of affecting the project) to 10 (high impact of affecting the project), within the quarterly reporting period. The Long Term Vision and Plan annual reports provide an assessment of the overall project health.
Text version for project health graph
Project health is represented by 3 elements: scope, cost and schedule. Each element’s status ranges from 0 to 10, where:
- 0 to 4 represents the project progressing in line with the planned approved cost, scope and schedule within the reporting period
- 5 to 8 represents the project progressing but experiencing challenges that may impact the cost, scope and schedule within the reporting period
- 9 to 10 represents the project progressing but experiencing challenges that have a high likelihood of impacting the cost, scope and schedule within the reporting period
Current status:
- Overall, the project is progressing in line with the planned approved cost, scope and schedule with a rating of 4
- Scope is in line with the planned approved scope with a rating of 1
- Cost is in line with the planned approved cost at a rating of 1
- Schedule is in line with the planned approved schedule with a rating of 6
Construction progress
Current construction activities for the Centre Block project.
Excavation of the Parliament Welcome Centre
In spring 2020, excavation of the new Parliament Welcome Centre began. To date, about 39,000 truckloads of bedrock have been removed. Now that we have substantially completed the excavation and are at the depth required, we have also started drilling boreholes for the geothermal system.
How we are excavating to build the Parliament Welcome Centre
Status: On track
Completion: Substantially complete
Demolition and abatement
Demolition and abatement activities inside the Centre Block continue to progress well. To date, about 9.6 million kilograms (21 million pounds) of hazardous materials have been removed.
Preparing the interior of the building
Status: On track
Completion: Approximately 85% complete
Masonry conservation
We are restoring and repairing the masonry exterior of the Centre Block. Scaffolding is now in place on the east façade, and the stonemasons will begin their work in April.
Preparing the exterior of the building
Status: On track
Overall completion: Approximately 8% complete
North wall façade completion: Complete
Cost update
Spending to date on the Centre Block project is at about $555 million.
The overall budget was established based on a cost report completed in 2021. The report was provided by an independent consultant who validated the method we used to establish cost for the construction.
Dollars spent against dollars budgeted (in billions of dollars)
Financial data as of March 15, 2023.
Text version of Dollars spent against dollars budgeted graph
| Spent to date | Budget | |
|---|---|---|
| Centre Block and Parliament Welcome Centre |
$555,000,000 | $4,500,000,000 to $5,000,000,000 |
Note: Please refer to the Long Term Vision and Plan annual report for expenditures related to the overall project
The Long Term Vision and Plan for the Parliamentary Precinct: Annual reports
Key milestones
The timeline below illustrates the major milestones we are working on.
= Completed, = In progress
2021
Spring
- Completed - Approve cost, scope and schedule
2022
Spring
- Completed - Finalize schematic design
Summer
- Completed - Obtain federal land use approval of schematic design
- Completed - Begin installing structural support to excavate the basement
Fall
- Completed - Begin conserving heritage assets
- Completed - Begin detailed excavation for the Parliament Welcome Centre (PWC)
- Completed - Complete masonry repairs on the north wall façade
2023
Winter
- Completed - Begin drilling geothermal wells for the PWC
- Completed - Begin installing temporary posts to support the basement excavation
- Completed - Begin scaffolding work on the east façade
- Completed - Complete main excavation for the PWC
Spring
- Completed - Begin repairing masonry on the east façade
- In progress - Begin removing the structural floor slab on level 1
- Completed - Install decorative tarps on the east façade
- In progress - Obtain federal land use approval of the landscape design
Summer
- In progress - Begin excavation for the northeast section of the PWC
- In progress - Begin scaffolding work on the west façade
Fall
- In progress - Begin repairing the masonry on the west façade
- In progress - Install decorative tarps on the west façade
- In progress - Substantially complete the demolition and abatement
2024
- In progress - Restore 50% of the stained glass windows
- In progress - Install 50% of the temporary posts to support the Centre Block during excavation work
2030 to 2031
Winter
- In progress - Complete main construction
Project spotlight
Each quarter, we highlight an element of work being done on the Centre Block or Parliament Welcome Centre.
Centre Block basement
Excavating under the Centre Block is one of the most complicated and technically challenging parts of the project. This immense task will:
- connect Canada’s new Parliament Welcome Centre to the previously unused courtyards in the Centre Block
- protect the building during earthquakes by adding a base isolation system to meet seismic standards
- create much-needed space for mechanical and electrical systems, and other modern technologies
To complete this monumental task, we must first separate the building from its foundation and place it on temporary posts. We are using special equipment to remove the rock within the limited space available. After the excavation is done, the base isolation system will be installed and the building can rest on the new basement structure. During the work, we will closely monitor the building to ensure the work is done safely. To date, we have drilled 50 out of the estimated 800 total holes to install the temporary supporting posts to hold the building while we excavate.
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