‘Freedom Convoy’ rolls into town, jams Parliamentary Precinct, thousands protest against COVID-19 mandates
The “Freedom Convoy,” a large convoy of big rig and pickup truck drivers from across Canada, who are here to protest against vaccine mandates and the Trudeau government, rolled into town and took over the entire Parliamentary Precinct on Saturday. They started arriving in big numbers late Friday night, with the main demonstration against COVID-19 […]
Peace Tower bells soon to fall silent as Centre Block reno reaches high-heritage spaces
Demolition and abatement work inside the Centre Block building has passed the halfway mark and reached the building’s high-heritage spaces, with the Peace Tower’s bells set to fall silent as early as January. “When I see the building coming apart, I see it as a positive thing and I see it as progress, and I’m […]
‘Important’ and ‘symbolic’ to speak Indigenous language in same Chamber that repressed their use, says Battiste
Speaking Indigenous languages in the same House of Commons Chamber that had historically tried to quash them can be a source of inspiration and can help revitalization efforts, says Liberal Jaime Battiste. Revitalization experts say having the languages spoken in Parliament can be effective and show the applicability of learning Indigenous languages. “There’s times in […]
The life of an MP is not as easy as it may seem
KAMOURASKA, QUE.—It is not an easy job, no matter what people may think. I am talking about being a Member of Parliament, which is, after all, what this election determined: in 338 constituencies, people voted for individuals to represent them. While the media and voters may focus on the leaders, with the exception of a […]
Election returns a familiar Parliament, but it won’t be so friendly for some
OTTAWA—Quick. What does $600-million get you? A doppelganger Parliament. Some 36-plus days after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called an election, it has ended with an outcome almost identical to when the race began. Canada now has its second consecutive Liberal minority and fifth already of the 21st century. Major political leaders may like majorities, Canadians […]
Wellington Street Ottawa-Gatineau LRT crossings ‘not feasible without mitigation measures,’ says PSPC
A proposal to create a light rail transit system in Gatineau that could cross along Wellington Street in Ottawa would cause several “structural, security, and traffic issues for the Judicial Precinct and Parliamentary Precinct,” according to Public Services and Procurement Canada. Gatineau’s transit agency, the Société de transport de l’Outaouais (STO), had been studying various […]
From shutdown to ‘hybrid,’ prorogation, voting app, and the ‘undermining of democracy’: MPs, politicos weigh in on Canada’s ‘pandemic Parliament’
From the early warnings about what would become the COVID-19 pandemic, to the public health restrictions in March 2020, the WE Charity scandal, hundreds of billions of dollars of approved spending, and most recently, a contempt of Parliament motion, Canada’s historic and unprecedented 43rd “hybrid” Parliament has been unlike any other, says MPs and politicos. […]
‘So long for now’: Munson retires from the Senate after 17 years
When Jim Munson first came to Parliament Hill as a reporter in the 1970s, he never expected he’d go on to work for a prime minister, and certainly not go on to sit as a member of the Red Chamber—but life is rarely what you expect. And now, the Ontario Senator is looking back fondly […]
Shaping Canada’s future by investing in its past
On June 17, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) provided updates on the progress of the largest and most complex heritage restoration project in Canada. Since December 2018, Parliament Hill’s Centre Block has been closed to make way for a visitor welcome complex and the rehabilitation and retrofit of Canada’s most iconic heritage building. The […]
Skylights and a Charter display: diving into plans for the Centre Block project
Public Services and Procurement Canada recently announced its cost and time estimates for completion of the Centre Block project—$4.5- to $5-billion by 2030-2031—and with it, made public a number of planned design features for the first time, including a first-ever display of the Charter of Rights, a change of location for the cabinet room, and […]
