Existing Condition

Justice Building Renovation
Centre Block Underground Services Construction
Peace Tower Conservation
Centre Block South Façade Conservation
East Block 1910 Wing Renovation
125 Sparks Street Renovation

Justice Building Renovation

The Justice Building was renovated between 1998 and 2001 to create permanent office space for 85 parliamentarians and their staff. The building also houses a Library Reading Room, two small meeting rooms, and various support services.

In The "Chateau" Style

Originally known as "Block D", the Justice Building was constructed between 1935 and 1938 to provide working and living accommodation for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. It was later reassigned to the Department of Justice and became the Justice Building. With its steep, pitched copper roof, dormer windows, turrets and carved detailing, it is a very good example of the Chateau style of architecture used by railway companies in the construction of grand hotels in the early 20th century.

CBUS Construction

"CBUS" is short for Centre Block Underground Services. Buried 12 metres underground, CBUS is a two-storey vault housing high-voltage electrical transformers, emergency power generators, computer and communications facilities, maintenance workshops and storage space.

Rock solid

How do you remove 30,000 cubic metres of solid rock from a site only a few strides from the Centre Block? The answer: VERY CAREFULLY! Under close supervision by the National Research Council and the Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office, a combination of controlled blasting and hoe-ramming was used to break up rock. In all, eight tons of explosives were used during the excavation process. It then took 3,000 dump truck loads to remove the rock. The project was completed in 1997.

Peace Tower Conservation

For several years ending in 1997, the 92.2-metre (302 ft. 6 in.) Peace Tower was shrouded from top to bottom by scaffolding. Like other mainly sandstone buildings in the Precinct, the Peace Tower had suffered deterioration caused by weathering and air pollution. To correct these problems, the mortar between the stone blocks was repaired (repointed) to keep moisture out and lock the stones firmly in place. In addition, carved lettering, gargoyles and sculptures were cleaned, returning them to their original luster.

Centre Block South Façade Conservation

In the mid-1990s, a repair program was launched to protect the building and public. The work focused on four main problems: cracked and damaged masonry walls; a corroded, leaking copper roof; draughty windows; and poor foundation drainage, which allowed water to seep into the basement. In addition, several chimneys and towers were repaired to prevent collapse. Work was completed in 1997.

Protecting Conservation Investments

In the past, masonry repairs to Precinct buildings have often been followed by decades of neglect. That has changed. Major conservation projects, such as the Peace Tower preservation and the Centre Block South Facade restoration and all other conservation projects are followed at 5-year intervals by scheduled maintenance to ensure that the original investment is protected.

East Block 1910 Wing Renovation

In 1910, the East Block was expanded to provide much-needed office space for Canada's growing civil service. This "new" wing would remain essentially unchanged for the next 85 years. By the 1990s, ancient building systems were in urgent need of replacement, walls had been damaged by weathering and vibration, the roof leaked, and asbestos-reinforced plaster posed a health risk. With the completion of repairs in 1997, the 1910 Wing re-entered service as home to Senate offices.

125 Sparks Street Renovation

The Library of Parliament building that is attached to the Centre Block is much more than an architectural treasure; it is a working library used by parliamentarians and it houses significant Parliamentary collections. It was necessary to close the Main Library Building during the renovations. The majority of the staff, as well as more than 3,000 linear metres of the reference and core collections, were relocated to the former Bank of Nova Scotia Building at 125 Sparks Street, which was renovated to meet the Library's requirements. The balance of the Main Library collections were consolidated temporarily with the Library's less-used collections at 45 Sacré-Coeur Blvd. in Gatineau, Québec.

Creating A Temporary Library of Parliament

The Bank of Nova Scotia Building at 125 Sparks Street was built in 1924-25 and banking services were offered from this location until 1973 when the building was purchased by the federal government, along with all the other properties between Sparks and Wellington Streets. It was designated a Classified Heritage Building in 1986. Work to transform the building into a home for the Library of Parliament began in April 2000. Special efforts were made to preserve the building's heritage features, including bank vaults, the skylight and the marble walls, while transforming the space to accommodate more than 3,000 metres of shelving, staff work stations, and consultation and operational areas. The work was completed in July 2001, in time for Library staff and the collections to be relocated in advance of the Parliamentary session in September 2001.