Black public servants’ lawsuit will force public service ‘to look deeply inside its structure,’ says former senator who’s fought for diversity in the PS for decades
Former Senator Don Oliver, who has argued for decades that the government needs to appoint more Black judges, deputy and associate deputy ministers, and chiefs of staff in government offices, says he was not surprised to read about a planned class action lawsuit on behalf of current and former Black employees within the public service, […]
BOIE approves multiple plans for Centre Block’s renovation, including new glass enclosures
The House Board of Internal Economy recently green-lit a series of recommendations for the Centre Block building’s renovation, including an expansion of the lobbies into the western courtyard and an infill in the currently exposed space above the Hall of Honour. Covering over the open courtyard-like spaces, or light courts, in the Centre Block building […]
Centre Block renovation budget tops $655-million as post-holiday stonework nears
It’s been two years since the lights went out at Centre Block, and construction crews have been steadily and quietly chipping away at the renovations, despite the pandemic that has scuttled many carefully laid plans. A small group of journalists were invited, on Dec. 2, to tour the ongoing renovations inside Centre Block, where 40 per cent of the […]
MPs, Senators look to fill Centre Block’s courtyards in recent reno recommendations
Centre Block’s previously unused courtyards are likely to see new construction to provide more office space for Senators and larger House of Commons lobbies, following recent recommendations from the MP working group and Senate subcommittee charged with weighing in on renovation plans. The most recent recommendation from MPs still has to be approved and endorsed […]
A year after wrapping renovations, Indigenous space in 100 Wellington St. yet to open
One year after renovations were completed to ready the old U.S. Embassy at 100 Wellington St. for its new short-term use, featuring exhibits on Indigenous governance and history, the building still has yet to be opened to the public, The Hill Times has confirmed. “Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada [CIRNAC] and Public Services and […]
Unions decry Treasury Board’s changes to ‘Other Leave With Pay’ provisions used by public service employees as ‘last resort’ in pandemic
At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many public servants who required more flexibility to attend to caregiving, who could not perform their work remotely when offices closed, or who either became infected with the illness or were required to quarantine, accessed ‘Other Leave with Pay,’ or ‘Code 699,’ a once obscure provision that precluded […]
Tunney’s Pasture daycare closing after 32 years
Garderie Tunney’s Daycare, a non-for-profit Ottawa daycare centre with a long history of serving federal public servants, has closed its doors amid both falling enrolment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as skyrocketing rent that comes following the expiry of a series of rent subsidies that have kept the centre afloat for […]
Feds inch closer to Phoenix replacement as Heritage Canada tapped for exploratory phase of Next Generation HR and pay system
The Department of Heritage has been selected for the first exploratory phase of the Next Generation HR and Pay project—or NextGen, for short—which is meant to eventually replace the problem-plagued Phoenix pay system that has left thousands of public servants overpaid, under paid, or not paid at all. Heritage was selected as the department for […]
Centre Block renovation estimates likely to land in new year, PSPC says work on track despite COVID-19
Cost estimates and timelines for the Centre Block building’s renovation, and for construction of the final phase of the underground parliamentary welcome centre, could finally come before MPs early in the new year, based on recent comments from the department charged with overseeing the project. MPs across party lines have repeatedly requested information on spending […]
Feds should focus on gauging ‘wariness’ of COVID measures, says strategist, after public opinion research spending dip in 2019-20
The Liberal government spent $11.3-million on public opinion research studies in the last year, but those efforts didn’t capture much of the public’s reaction to COVID-19 spending, and in turn, experts say Ottawa’s efforts should now shift to gauging Canadians’ evaluation of its relief efforts. The feds commissioned a total of 121 projects spanning 30 […]
