A Legacy for Future Generations

The Long-Term Vision and Plan for the Parliamentary Precinct

Client and Stakeholder Requirements

Responding to Urgent Needs
Clients
The Collective Impact of Client Requirements
Other Stakeholders

Meeting Diverse Needs for Modern Accommodations

Responding to Urgent Needs

A Long-Term Vision and Plan for the Parliamentary Precinct must, above all, be a plan to accommodate the day-to-day needs of the people who work there - now and in the future.

Recognizing that the needs of several different clients (organizations that occupy space in the Precinct) and stakeholders (groups or organizations that perform duties or have legitimate interests within the Precinct) must be met, PWGSC has made a point of inviting submissions from, and seeking consultation with, as many of these clients and stakeholders as possible.

The Precinct's major clients - the Senate, House of Commons and Library of Parliament - have submitted detailed reports on their accommodation requirements for the next 25 years to PWGSC. Representatives of these and other clients and stakeholders are providing on-going advice through their participation in the Parliamentary Buildings Advisory Council (PBAC).

The needs of clients and stakeholders are briefly identified below.

Clients

House of Commons

The House of Commons has developed a comprehensive, goal-oriented set of requirements for its facilities. A report entitled Building the Future: House of Commons Requirements for the Parliamentary Precinct addresses the detailed requirements for existing and replacement facilities within and outside of the Parliamentary Precinct. The House of Commons has articulated the following principles to guide the development of accommodation in the Parliamentary Precinct over the next 25 years:

1. A clear physical identity
2. Openness and accessibility
3. Appropriate design
4. Coherent and logical patterns of use
5. Interconnection of functions, services and buildings
6. Sustainability

Short-term priorities identified by the House include:

• Adoption and endorsement of a proposed management model - clearly setting out roles and responsibilities, recognizing the House of Commons as a knowledgeable client and partner throughout the planning and implementation of the long term renovation of the Parliament Buildings;
• Formal designation of a clearly defined, secure Parliamentary Precinct - reaffirming existing boundaries - the Rideau Canal to the east, the Ottawa River to the north and Wellington Street to the south - and extending the western boundary to Kent Street to ensure location of all facilities for Members within the Precinct; and
• Construction of a facility to replace inadequate committee rooms - the most pressing physical requirement, as well as the key to effective sequencing and transition of all renovations.

Renovation priorities over the longer term include:

• West Block - providing essential committee rooms and Members' offices and a temporary Chamber. This building is vital to the transition and effective sequencing of all initiatives;
• Centre Block - focusing on the restoration of committee and caucus rooms near the Chamber, improving accessibility for Members and visitors with special needs and upgrading outdated information technology and security infrastructure; and
• Confederation Building - providing standard offices and ensuring that appropriate space is provided for support services.

The Senate

Like the House of Commons, the Senate has defined its accommodation needs in a detailed report entitled Senate Long Term Accommodation Strategy. An essential part of its planning exercise was also guided by a set of core strategic principles. Approved by the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration on September 9, 1999, the principles call for Senators' offices and Committee rooms to be housed in buildings north of Wellington Street, within the Parliamentary Precinct. Other requirements for Senate accommodation are:

• Standard accommodation for Senators and Senate Leadership;
• Adequate work space adjacent to the Senate Chamber;
• Committee rooms that meet established standards;
• Adequate accommodation for legislative and operational support services; and
• A proposed equal occupancy with the House of Commons in the Centre Block.

With respect to the last requirement, after review and discussion with stakeholders, PWGSC is working on the planning assumption that the Senate will occupy one third rather than one half of the Centre Block. Therefore, this plan allows for additional space for the Senate north of Wellington in the new construction.

The strategy identifies the Senate's accommodation needs according to three main functions:

• Parliamentary accommodation (Senators' office space),
• Legislative function (the Chamber and Committee rooms and related space, and legislative support); and
• Operational function (Administration, Operational Support and Protective Service).

The overall planning period for the Strategy is 25 years (2000 to 2025), with specific requirements set out for three key phases - short term, medium term and long term.

Library of Parliament

The Library of Parliament provides a wide range of essential services to the Senate and the House of Commons, as well as to the public. High quality, adequate accommodation located near parliamentary clients is an essential element of the Library's Long Term Plan. Similarly, locating and housing visitor services so that they meet the needs of the public while being integrated smoothly with other parliamentary services, is seen as vital to the success of the broader renovation and redevelopment of the Parliament Buildings.

The day-to-day work of Library of Parliament staff is client-driven, calling for a high degree of flexibility. Increasingly, staff are called on to respond to complex requests for information to support parliamentarians' work in the Chamber, in committee and in constituency offices.

The close proximity of much of the Library's accommodation to the Precinct is essential if the Library is to continue to fulfill its mandate. The quality of the accommodation, however, must be significantly upgraded in order to support the daily activities of staff. Specifically:

• The space must be re-designed and re-configured;
• Collections must be stored appropriately;
• Staff must have offices and meeting space that enable them to respond to the demands of their work; and
• Key services must be located adjacent to each other in the interests of efficiency.

The renovation of the main Library of Parliament building was approved on November 25, 1999 in advance of the Long-Term Vision and Plan because of the urgency of the requirement to preserve this treasured asset and its contents. The renovation is scheduled to start in the fall of 2001.

Public Works and Government Services Canada

PWGSC, as the official custodian of the Parliament Buildings, is charged with responsibility for their care and upkeep. By law, the Minister is responsible for planning with regard to providing facilities to meet stakeholder accommodation requirements. In addition, PWGSC is a tenant in some of the parliamentary buildings, where it performs buildings operation and maintenance services, operates workshops, and performs other functions.

RCMP

Security is provided within the buildings and the permanent precincts by Senate and House of Commons Protective Services personnel. The RCMP is responsible for the protection of members and Senators outside the buildings, protection of the general public while on Parliament Hill and protection of the grounds and exterior of the building. In order to carry out these duties, the RCMP requires suitable on-site facilities.

Privy Council Office

As the Federal organization chiefly responsible for administering the machinery of government, the Privy Council Office (PCO) has a keen interest in the infrastructure supporting that machinery. Currently housed in the Langevin Block, the PCO also has responsibilities relating to the security of people working in the Precinct.

Media

In order to cover news originating within the Parliamentary Precinct and in federal government departments, many news organizations are tenants of Precinct buildings and grounds (Press Gallery, Hot Room, cabling infrastructure, etc.). This is likely to be a growing need in the years ahead.

Other

A number of other organizations are tenants in Precinct buildings. These include a Day Care Centre, the Former Parliamentarians Association and service providers such as Ottawa Hydro and telecommunications service providers. Accommodations are also required from time to time by groups such as local or national organizations involved in urban planning, heritage preservation, and other matters.

The Collective Impact of Client Requirements

It is clear from the foregoing description of client requirements that there are considerable pressures within the Precinct to provide additional space to accommodate the day-to-day requirements of Parliamentarians.

The existing buildings north of Wellington Street are fully occupied. Some parliamentary functions have had to be located on the south side of Wellington Street for some time. The Senate currently has 39 Senators and two of its committee rooms located in the Victoria Building on the south side of Wellington Street, while the House of Commons has 28 Members and three committee rooms south of Wellington.

In order to accommodate all parliamentary functions within the proposed Precinct boundaries, the Senate will require 39 new Senator offices to replace those currently located in the Victoria Building on the south side of Wellington (5,500m²). Expanded services to support Committee activities will also require new space (1,000m²).

The House of Commons has identified a need for nine new committee rooms (14,500m²), as well as new and expanded facilities for Members (7,000m²).

The addition of the Justice Building will meet some of the space pressure, but, even with this addition, there is still a projected shortfall of 28,000m² north of Wellington Street. This shortfall cannot be met by renovating existing buildings, therefore new space will be required.

Other Stakeholders

The Canadian Public

Canadians have historically had open access to the Parliamentary Precinct as a major venue for public ceremonial functions, as well as for democratic functions such as demonstrations and access to Parliamentarians.

When the Parliament buildings were originally designed, the greeting of millions of tourists was not foreseen. Today, with an ever growing and changing Canada, Parliament Hill receives over one and a half million visits per year, with this number anticipated to reach two and a half million by 2010.

Visitors are a special kind of "V.I.P." and both Parliament and the National Capital Commission have developed considerable skill in welcoming and hosting them, but the problems are growing, primarily because the facilities were never designed for such large numbers. A coordinated effort is needed to assess visitor requirements, clarify overall policy, improve necessary facilities and deliver appropriate site programming. This will be part of the evolution and implementation of the Long-Term Vision and Plan. As indicated earlier, the National Capital Commission will be addressing the need and plans for a new Visitor Centre.

National Capital Commission

The NCC is the planning authority for federal lands in the National Capital Region. They prepare and approve land use and urban design plans in co-operation with custodian departments. Under the National Capital Act, they have federal land use and federal design approval powers for any proposal to erect, alter, extend or demolish buildings or other works under federal ownership. The NCC is responsible for exterior public programming (e.g. Infotent, Sound and Light, Canada Day, Christmas Lights, Snow Sculptures), as well as grounds management and maintenance for the Precinct.

Federal Heritage Building Review Office

FHBRO is responsible for assisting departments in the implementation of the Treasury Board policy on Federal Heritage Buildings.

City of Ottawa

The City of Ottawa prepares and maintains an Official Plan which defines long term development policies for the City. In addition, the City provides municipal and other services (e.g. transportation, infrastructure, water, sewer) that interconnect with the Precinct. In some areas, lands under City jurisdiction are immediately adjacent to federal properties. In these, and other areas, close consultation is a necessity.