First phase of Centre Block renovation project to be completed by year’s end
The project is still estimated to cost between $4.5 billion and $5 billion despite complications caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2022 convoy protest.
Catherine Morrison, Ottawa Citizen
Published Jun 23, 2023 • Last updated 3 hours ago • 3 minute read
What goes into a multi-billion dollar renovation project billed as the “largest and most complex heritage rehabilitation ever seen in Canada”?
Answer: Over a dozen specialists, more than 450 construction personnel working onsite daily and a passion for preserving heritage.
The federal government’s undertaking of rehabilitation for Canada’s main Parliament building is on track in terms of timeline and budget, the project’s lead says, with the project’s first phase to be completed by the end of this year.
The building housing the Senate, the House of Commons and the Library of Parliament hadn’t undergone a major renovation since it was rebuilt and reopened in 1920, four years after it was mostly destroyed in a fire. Modernization was needed because of crumbling mortar, damaged sculptures and aging water pipes, and work was also needed to update the mechanical and electrical systems, address security issues, improve accessibility and ensure the building was earthquake-proof.
According to Rob Wright, assistant deputy minister for Public Services and Procurement Canada, the mammoth project to create the “Parliament Hill of the future” is estimated to be completed by the end of 2031, on the tail end of previous estimates that renovations could be finished anywhere between 2030 and 2031. The work is being done as part of a series of projects on Parliament Hill.
Wright said the project is still estimated to cost between $4.5 billion and $5 billion despite complications caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2022 convoy protest.
According to Wright, the project is composed of three phases, with the first two taking place somewhat simultaneously. The first phase, which he said would be done by the end of 2023, involves a mass excavation for the Parliament building and taking out heritage items to “bring it down to its bones.” Phase two, he said, consists of bringing Centre Block up to modern building codes and finalizing the structural layout. The third phase includes bringing systems into the building and reapplying heritage elements that have been restored.
One of the most complex and challenging technical aspects of the project is construction of the basement that will house the new 32,000-square-metre Parliament Welcome Centre. To allow for that work, a temporary structure comprising 800 temporary posts will be created to hold up Centre Block, with digging of up to 23 metres being done to get rid of the bedrock in front of and under the historic building. The building will be separated from the bedrock using 500 base isolators, which will work as shock absorbers in case a seismic event occurs.
All the work done while rehabilitating the building is being done with heritage protection in mind, the project head says. The building contains 50 high-heritage rooms to be restored, with more than 20,000 heritage assets including hand-painted linen, stained glass windows, light fixtures, sculptures and paintings. Work is being done with support from experts in 17 specialisms ranging from stained glass to stone work to metal work.
The project’s heritage lead, Kate Westbury, says items are being safely kept in storage facilities during the restoration process, with each artefact identified using a tagging system she began developing in 2018.
Centre Block by the numbers
200,000+: Archaeological artefacts uncovered onsite, including military buttons, ceramics, a knife pre-dating contact between Indigenous peoples and Europeans and more.
20,000 square metres: Size of the façade with approximately 365,000 stones, 35 per cent of which will be disassembled for repairs or rehabilitation; the mortar will be replaced and the stone will be laser-cleaned.
40,000: Approximate number of truckloads of bedrock removed to make way for the Parliament Welcome Centre.
20,000+: Heritage assets, including hand-painted linen, stained glass windows, light fixtures, sculptures, paintings and a carillon.
23 of 92: Boreholes that have been drilled.
500: Approximate number of base isolators to be installed during renovations to function as shock absorbers in case of a seismic event; approximately 800 temporary posts will be drilled in to support the building.
22.5 million: Approximate number of pounds of hazardous material that has been removed.
450+: Construction personnel onsite daily.
65 per cent: Expected reduction in energy use.
50 per cent: Expected reduction in water consumption.
https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-new...ion-project-to-be-completed-by-years-end
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