On March 11, 1999, the Honourable Alfonso Gagliano, Minister of Public Works and Government Services, announced the establishment of the Parliamentary Buildings Advisory Council.

Mandate

The mandate of the Council was to advise the Minister on various matters relating to the renovation and construction program under way in the Parliament Buildings. These matters included, but were not limited to:

• maintaining a due regard for the long-term costs of the program;
• the preservation of the buildings, with special reference to their unique heritage status;
• facilitating the decision-making process related to the program.

Activities of the Council

The Council focussed on the following activities:

• reviewing the long-term capital plan, with a special emphasis on cost control and heritage considerations;
• reviewing the evolving accommodation needs of Parliament;
• identifying and facilitating the resolution of stakeholder concerns.

Membership

The Council was composed of senior officials from the main Parliament Hill stakeholders, including the Senate, the House of Commons, the Library of Parliament, the National Capital Commission, and Canadian Heritage, as well as representatives from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada and the Association of Consulting Engineers of Canada.

Participation was on a volunteer basis, but expenses were covered. In addition to representing their respective organizations, officials were to provide advice from a corporate government perspective.

The Council was chaired by the Honourable John Fraser, who has served his country as a Cabinet Minister and a Speaker of the House of Commons. The role of the Chair was to act as the main liaison with the Minister, lead the development of a strategy and workplan, foster consensus and act as a spokesperson for the Council.

Biographies of the Council members.

Council's Recommendations

On May 3, 2001, the Honourable Alfonso Gagliano, Minister of Public Works and Government Services, received recommendations from the Honourable John A. Fraser, Chair of the Parliamentary Buildings Advisory Council (PBAC) regarding a long-term plan for the preservation, renovation and modernization of the Parliamentary Buildings. The delivery of these recommendations brought to conclusion PBAC's role of carrying out an independent review of the long-term vision developed by Public Works and Government Services Canada and the implementation of that plan.

View the Council's report.