Environmental Initiatives

Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) is committed to greening government operations and to strengthening its contribution to sustainable development. This section will present some of the environmentally sound practices and initiatives taking place on Parliament Hill. "Green" ideas and ecological sustainability is important to the Government of Canada and we invite you to peruse our site during the coming year and see our new additions as they become available.

As custodian of federal real property, PWGSC is responsible for the long-term renovations and maintenance of Parliament Hill.

PWGSC has the mandate to manage and maintain the assets occupied by the Senate, the House of Commons and the Library of Parliament. It is also responsible for the Confederation, Justice, Wellington, Victoria and La Promenade buildings as well as all the space and facilities supporting parliamentary functions.

In recognition of the importance of these heritage buildings and the work that goes on there, PWGSC has devoted a great deal of attention over the years to the preservation and enhancement of these structures. "Greening" the Hill is inherent to the preservation of the buildings and space that make-up the Parliamentary Precinct. In fact, PWGSC has received several recognition awards for its environmental initiatives on Parliament Hill.

Environmental Site Assessment of the Bank Street Valley Site

The Bank Street Valley site located on Parliament Hill was historically used to dump garbage in the late 1800s and waste from construction activities on Parliament Hill in the early 1900s. Contamination was first detected in 2002 during the soil evaluations for the planned Bank Street Building project. Consequently, several scientific studies have been conducted over the past three years to better understand the site. PWGSC has commissioned scientific reports, which confirm that the Bank Street Valley Contaminated Site is safe for people and the environment.

• Partners for a Green Hill: Effective January 1, 2004, the Senate, the House of Commons, the Library of Parliament and Public Works and Government Services Canada, Parliamentary Precinct Directorate, agreed to enter into a partnership for the environmental management of Parliament Hill.