A Legacy for Future Generations

The Long-Term Vision and Plan for the Parliamentary Precinct

Overview

Limestone Walls and Fibre Optic Cables: The Dual Nature of the Parliament Buildings

The Impact of Time and Climate

Creating More Space: A Long-Term Solution to A Perpetual Problem

Long-Term Vision and Plan

Next steps

Conclusion

In November 1867, the Members of Parliament who gathered in Ottawa for the first session of the first Parliament of the newly formed Dominion of Canada were confronted by a singular occurrence. As they entered the Chamber of the House of Commons, Members discovered that the seating arrangement had been dramatically altered, as though an invisible hand had reached down and turned the floor plan 90 degrees in a counterclockwise direction. Instead of the north-south orientation which was the original intention for the Chamber (and is the one still in use today), the MPs found their desks arranged in an east-west configuration, with the Speaker's chair on the west side of the Chamber.

This alteration was due to the fact that the Chamber, although new, was already too small for the legislature of the new country. Seating in the Chamber had been planned for only the 130 Members representing Upper and Lower Canada in 1857, the year Ottawa was chosen as the capital of Canada. The influx of 51 additional Members, who had been added as a result of the signing of Confederation, exceeded the capacity of the original arrangement.

In a sense, this event was a fitting way to inaugurate Canada's Parliament Buildings, which have always been tested in their attempt to keep pace with the evolving space requirements and other needs of this country's legislative branch. Canada, a young and vibrant nation, has grown dramatically since 1867; from a population that was roughly 3.5 million at the time of Confederation, to almost 31 million today. While there were four provinces in 1867, there are now ten provinces and three territories, stretching from Cape Spear, Newfoundland to Mount St. Elias, Yukon, and from Cape Columbia on Ellesmere Island to Middle Island, in Lake Erie. And representing every citizen between these four extremities east, west, north and south are 301 Members of Parliament, up considerably from the 181 in office in 1867.

Over the years, as the Canadian population has increased, so has the scope of the nation's government. As a result, Parliamentarians have found themselves working in an ever-increasing number of areas, helping their constituents overcome problems related to passport applications, pensions, immigration, income support, taxation questions, student loans, and many other matters. At the same time, Senators and Members of Parliament have also found themselves spending an increasing amount of time working in various Parliamentary Committees, studying proposed legislation, investigating issues of national significance, and consulting Canadians on the policy directions of the government.

And all this time, Parliamentarians have carried out their duties within the historic walls of the buildings in the Parliamentary Precinct (Centre, East and West Blocks, the Library of Parliament and the Confederation Building), as well as three buildings located south of Wellington Street (Wellington, Victoria and Promenade Buildings). In addition to these, other Parliamentary functions are carried out in leased space adjacent to, and remote from, the Precinct.

The result is a situation that is increasingly untenable. Four factors now conspire to undermine the functioning of Parliament and threaten a cherished national monument. Deteriorating physical structures, outdated internal systems, insufficient infrastructure to support new technology, and serious and worsening space shortfalls all contribute to compromise the ability of Parliamentarians to adequately serve their fellow citizens. The urgency of the situation cannot be overstated. If these various challenges are not addressed, it is possible that different aspects of the Parliament Buildings could be seriously damaged.

As a first step toward addressing this problem, Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) initiated a process designed to develop a comprehensive plan to preserve the historic Parliament Buildings, bring them up to modern day standards regarding health, safety and efficiency, and prepare for future needs.

PWGSC, the department responsible for the maintenance and renovation of the Parliamentary Buildings, conducted a series of studies and consultations with users of the Parliamentary Precinct.

This work has resulted in a report entitled A Legacy for Future Generations: The Long-Term Vision and Plan for the Parliamentary Precinct. It describes the accommodation requirements identified by the Senate, House of Commons and Library of Parliament for the next 25 years. As well, it identifies the current condition of the Parliament Buildings and presents options for the renovations and new construction necessary to meet these accommodation needs.

This report presents a comprehensive plan for the future of the Precinct, as well as concrete options for the implementation of that plan. PWGSC's report is founded upon a planning framework and eight guiding principles. These resulted in an Urban Design Solution that will ensure a clearly defined Precinct, one that fulfills the needs of users in terms of access, efficiency and security, and upholds aesthetic principles important to the character of these heritage structures.

The purpose of this overview is to put this large-scale undertaking into context, answer some common questions and provide detailed information about what will be involved in the conservation, rehabilitation and upgrading of Canada's Parliamentary Precinct.

Limestone Walls and Fibre Optic Cables: The Dual Nature of the Parliament Buildings

Canada's Parliament Buildings are a unique place. They stand at the centre of our history and our democratic system of government.

The Parliament Buildings are also our most widely recognized heritage buildings, in Canada and around the world.

They belong to all Canadians, and welcome millions of citizens and visitors from other countries every year.

And yet, while they are our greatest national symbol, they must also be a functional workplace. Parliament Hill is an historical treasure whose original beauty must be preserved. But at the same time the Precinct must be equipped with modern technology.

Clearly, it is not easy to balance these different elements. Doing so presents numerous challenges. For example, shutting down the Senate and the House of Commons for a few years in order to renovate the Centre Block is not an option. Nor is adding structures that would undermine the scale and spacing of the original composition of the main Parliament Hill complex.

Nonetheless, the government is committed to meeting the needs of all users, including Parliamentarians, the employees of the Senate, the House of Commons and the Library of Parliament, journalists, and, of course, the millions of visitors who come and enjoy this historical and picturesque site.

The Impact of Time and Climate

Obviously, one of the most urgent requirements is the preservation of these important heritage buildings. After all, the buildings on Parliament Hill are all quite old, having been built between 1865 and 1932. The West Block was built in 1865, although further work on the building proceeded in three stages (1875-1878, 1905-1906 and 1961-1965). The East Block was built in two stages (1867 and 1910). The Library of Parliament opened in 1876. The Centre Block, rebuilt after the Fire of 1916, was finished in 1920, while the Peace Tower was completed in 1927. The Confederation Building was completed in 1932.

Naturally, the buildings have endured a great deal of damage associated with Canada's harsh climate. Small earthquakes have opened cracks in the masonry. Water seeping into these cracks freezes in the winter and opens them wider, making the problem worse in subsequent winters. In recent years, air pollution has also taken a toll. Airborne pollutants and salts carried in the rainwater react chemically with the mortar between the stones. Pollution also eats away at the intricate stonework and the many beautiful carvings that adorn the buildings.

Recent conservation projects on Parliament Hill have identified four main problems that must be addressed: cracked and damaged masonry walls and damaged mortar; the corroded, leaking copper roof; leaking and draughty windows; and inadequate foundation drainage, which allows water to collect near walls and seep into basements.

An operation of this magnitude is painstaking, and requires the contribution of many skilled professionals. The following gives some sense of the techniques used to repair decades of damage and restore the beauty of the Parliament Buildings:

Workers must re-point joints. That means carefully chipping the loose mortar out from between the stones. When repairing mortar, small tubes are pushed between the stones. Workers then inject fresh grout into the gaps, some quite substantial in size.

In the case of the restoration of the South Façade of the Centre Block and the Peace Tower, workers often had to remove individual stones, number them, gently wash decades of pollution from their surface without damaging the stone, and then carefully replace them. This presents quite a challenge when one thinks that there are approximately 50,000 stones in the South Façade, held together by a total of 23 km of mortar joints. If anything, the Peace Tower was an even greater conservation challenge, with approximately 54,000 stones and 25 km of mortar joints.

The old copper roof on the South Façade was removed. Its concrete base, which was severely damaged by water, was repaired. Then, a new copper roof was installed. Similar repairs, both to the stonework and the copper roof, must be made to the other sections of the Centre Block, and other buildings in the Precinct.

Extensive work must also be carried out on the insides of the buildings, to repair damage caused by water leakage (for example buckling in the plaster and staining caused by rust) and cracks caused by shifts in the outer stonework, as well as to modernize the buildings to ensure that they comply with current health and safety standards, and guarantee the operation of essential building systems. Obsolete heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems must be replaced. New fire alarms, mechanical and security systems must be installed. Finally, the electrical and communications systems must be upgraded to support current and future equipment demands associated with 21st century offices.

Creating More Space: A Long-Term Solution to A Perpetual Problem

While upgrading mechanical, electrical and other building systems is certainly essential to making the Parliamentary Precinct a more efficient workplace, there is another, equally important matter that must also be addressed, in order to allow Parliamentarians to serve Canadians fully and effectively. This critical question is, of course, the chronic lack of space in the Parliamentary Precinct, something that has concerned Senators, Members of Parliament and employees of the Library of Parliament since the earliest days of Confederation. In all, users have identified a space shortage of 28,000 m2. This shortage manifests itself in every sphere of Parliamentary activity, including work in the two Chambers, at the Caucus level, in Committee and in constituency work. While there are some differences in how this problem affects the Senate and the House of Commons, there are many more similarities. In essence, the problem can be summarized as follows: while the scope of Parliamentary activities has increased significantly over the years, the working space has not kept pace.

To get a sense of how Parliamentary work has changed, consider some of the relevant statistics. For example, for the first 20 years after Confederation, the House of Commons averaged 62 sitting days per year. For the last 20 years, the average has been over 135 days. The number of House Committees has also increased, going from 10 to 25. As was stated earlier, the number of MPs has gone from 181 to 301 between 1867 and today. That number is expected to rise to 322 by 2025. The number of Senators, while more stable, is also subject to change. With the recent creation of the Territory of Nunavut, there are now 105 permanent Senators. In addition, the Constitution allows for the creation of eight additional Senators, for a possible total of 113 Senators.

The rising numbers mentioned above only tell part of the story. In fact, the very nature of Parliamentary work has changed, and this change requires that Senators and Members of Parliament have access to a wide variety of resources in order to carry out their duties in a satisfactory manner. Parliamentarians are often called upon to help constituents overcome some hurdle regarding governmental rules and regulations. As a result, they require an adequate amount of office space, where they can meet with constituents and other visitors, where their staff can do case work, and where Senators and Members of Parliament can study legislation currently before their Committee.

At the Caucus level, Parliamentarians are faced with an acute shortage of meeting facilities. Given that there are now five recognized parties in the House of Commons, some meetings are being held in rooms where electronic equipment is not available and must therefore be brought in for each meeting.

In Committees, the nature of the work has also changed. Not only has the volume increased, but the mechanics of Committee hearings have evolved as well. It is now common to see public consultations using such formats as the round-table, the workshop and the town-hall. These hearings take place in standard committee rooms, which were not designed for such innovative approaches. As a result, public address systems, interpretation services and others must be all be adapted to less than optimal conditions.

Whether in the Chamber, in their office or in Committee, Senators and Members of Parliament play a very important role in our democratic system, so it is important that they have the necessary tools to serve Canadians effectively. Obviously, that includes adequate workspace.

Long-Term Vision and Plan

PWGSC has thoroughly studied all these issues. The department's experts have also reviewed earlier reports on similar topics. They have consulted extensively with Parliamentarians and other users. And they have applied a set of principles established by consensus among the users. These principles include:

• Preserving and enhancing the visual integrity of the Hill;
• Respecting the role and the heritage value of the buildings and the landscape;
• Regrouping all parliamentary functions - and only parliamentary functions - north of Wellington Street; and
• Allocating the buildings south of Wellington - such as Victoria and Wellington - to support service staff.

Once this very complex work was completed, PWGSC presented its findings to the Minister in a document entitled A Legacy for Future Generations: The Long-Term Vision and Plan for the Parliamentary Precinct. Then, the Minister asked the Parliamentary Buildings Advisory Council (PBAC), the advisory body established by the Minister in 1999, to study the Vision and Plan and make its recommendations to him.

This Long-Term Vision and Plan proposes a number of key steps designed to preserve the Parliamentary Buildings and prepare the Precinct for future needs. The Vision and Plan defines the Parliamentary Precinct as the area bounded by Kent Street on the West side, Wellington Street on the South side and the Rideau Canal on the East side. It presents a series of options to guide decision-makers as they proceed to the next stage.

Encompassing a period of 25 years, the Plan would affect every building in the Precinct, and would see the construction of an entirely new building, as well as a number of infill structures. The Vision and Plan calls for the construction of infill structures in the East Block and West Block courtyards where the Senate and the House of Commons would sit while the renovation work is completed in the Centre Block.

At the same time, a new infill building would be constructed to link the Justice and Confederation Buildings to accommodate new offices.

Finally, a new building would be constructed at the base of Parliament Hill, at the corner of Bank Street and Welllington Street, to increase the supply of Committee rooms and Senators' offices. This measure would ensure that Parliamentarians have the room they need to fulfill their responsibilities, safely and effectively.

According to the Long-Term Vision and Plan, this initiative could unfold as 15 projects implemented in 5 phases.

The entire cost of the Plan over 25 years would be approximately $60 million a year, for a total of $1.6 billion. This represents less than $2 per Canadian per year, over the life of the Plan.

The Plan would of course have many benefits, chief among them being that we will be preserving our most important heritage symbol, creating thousands of jobs over 25 years and allowing our Parliament to function efficiently.

Additional benefits include:

• Facilities better able to accommodate public hearings, committee deliberations, national forums;
• A work environment that fully meets health and safety standards;
• Office accommodations that will enable Parliamentarians to better communicate with and serve their constituents;
• Improved access for visitors; and
• Ensure the transmission of some very specific skills now on the verge of extinction as craftspeople skilled in such areas as stone carving, woodworking or stained glass restoration share their knowledge and the benefit of their experience with a new generation.

This Plan would also provide the opportunity to replace antiquated heating, ventilation and electrical systems with environmentally friendly alternatives.

In addition to being good for the environment, this would also result in considerably lower maintenance costs.

All new building systems will ensure maximum efficiency, in order to reduce waste of resources, which contributes to environmental degradation. As well, the new heating and ventilation systems will provide the highest level of air quality for occupants.

Next steps

PBAC has reviewed the Long-Term Vision and Plan. PBAC has considered the proposed options and is now making its recommendation to the Minister.

The next step is for the Minister of PWGSC to consider this recommendation, and choose a course of action. As soon as the Government has made its final choice and secured the appropriate funds, the Minister will make the official announcement.

Conclusion

Because of their striking beauty, their place in Canada's history and their symbolic importance as the seat of our democratic government, the Parliament Buildings are an essential part of our national heritage. There can be no doubt that we must preserve and enhance these historic treasures.

At the same time, to enable our government to function effectively, Parliamentarians must be equipped with all the resources necessary to fulfill the mandate they have received from Canadians.

That is why it is equally important that the Parliament Buildings be modernized, with updated building systems and modern information and communications technology. As well, Parliamentarians must be provided with adequate workspace, for themselves, their staff, and their support services.

The work of preserving the Parliamentary Precinct is an ongoing effort. We will always have to work to maintain the buildings, protect our national heritage and meet the needs of the Hill's occupants and visitors.

Current long term planning for the conservation and renovation of the Parliamentary Precinct provides an unparalleled opportunity for comprehensive changes urgently needed to address current space shortfalls, prepare the Precinct for the future and maintain the architectural and heritage integrity of the buildings, in the interest of all Canadians.

Sources referenced:

"A Legacy for Future Generations: The Long-Term Vision and Plan for the Parliamentary Precinct"

"Senate Long-Term Accommodation Strategy"

"Building the Future: House of Commons Requirements for the Parliamentary Precinct"

"Parliament Hill: A Treasure to Explore" website at www.parliamenthill.gc.ca

All relevant documents are available on our website at: www.parliamenthill.gc.ca