Construction work continues on Parliament Hill, with new precautions
Parliament is adjourned amid heightened self-isolation measures to try to “flatten the curve” of COVID-19’s spread, but construction work, including work related to the Centre Block building’s massive renovation, continues, albeit with some health and safety modifications. On March 12, all Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) staff, along with all employees working on current […]
‘It’s a different world we’re all living in’: vast majority of staff working remotely, focused on COVID-19 response
The vast majority of staff—from ministerial offices on the Hill to the constituency offices of Members of Parliament—are now working from home and busy working to answer high volumes of public queries and implement new measures being announced to help Canadians amid the COVID-19 outbreak. “I think that all of our offices are seeing high […]
BOIE settles on reno feedback forum, initial list of sacred Centre Block spaces to preserve
Before it adjourned amid COVID-19 precautions, the House of Commons’ Board of Internal Economy struck a new subcommittee to oversee Centre Block renovations and ruled out the possibility of expanding the existing House Chamber, among other things. Only representatives from recognized parties in the House—those with at least 12 sitting MPs—were involved in those decisions. […]
MPs considering joint House-Senate group to oversee Centre Block renovations
Members of Parliament are considering creating a joint group with Senators to oversee plans for Centre Block’s renovation, but not all MPs are convinced. The House of Commons’ Board of Internal Economy (BOIE) is holding a special meeting on March 12 to finalize plans for a new governance body to supervise the massive project to […]
MPs still figuring out feedback, as key decisions await Centre Block renovation project
Some “key decisions” have to be made soon in the massive project to renovate the Centre Block, but exactly how the House of Commons will ensure Members of Parliament get a chance to weigh in on plans—something Parliamentarians and officials alike have said was lacking in the West Block’s renovation—is still being ironed out. “We […]
Revamping Centre Block: virtual tools, new levels of collaboration put to use
Four times larger than the West Block renovation project, the mission to revamp the Centre Block building—and build a new underground facility alongside it—is no small feat, and to tackle it, officials have introduced new technologies and levels of collaboration. It’s a “complex project on multiple levels,” said Jennifer Garrett, director general of the Centre […]
Getting to know me: Gov. Gen. Payette breaks down her vice-regal role
The 98 newly elected Members of Parliament who recently started work undoubtedly know that Canada has a Governor General. While many may know that I currently hold this position, some may not know, in detail, what a Governor General does. So we invited the MPs just before I departed for Israel and Poland to attend […]
A guide to Parliament Hill’s cafeterias
PARLIAMENT HILL—No one wants to go outside for long in winter. Ottawa is cold. The Ottawa River doesn’t help with windchill. Despite there being tunnels connecting some buildings on the Hill, there’s no equivalent to Toronto’s PATH, a 30-plus kilometre underground pedestrian walkway serving most of downtown. If you’re one of those who’d rather not […]
National Capital Commission, planners and stewards of Canada’s capital region
The capital we know today is the result of 120 years of planning, beginning with the Ottawa Improvement Commission, founded on the initiative of Sir Wilfrid Laurier in 1899. Over subsequent decades, the National Capital Region has benefited greatly from the work of giants of the planning world such as Frederick Todd, Edward Bennett, and […]
‘We’re flying the plane while we build it’: demolition work in Centre Block has begun
A final budget and timeline for the renovation of the iconic Centre Block building have yet to be determined, but work is plowing ahead, with demolition underway from the fourth floor up, which will see those floors stripped down to the building’s bones. “With these kinds of projects, we’re flying the plane while we build […]
