For immediate release
LONDON, Ontario, November 23, 2007 – The Honourable Michael M Fortier, Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada, today officially re-opened the restored Dominion Public Building at 457 Richmond Street in downtown London. The building is now restored to its original 1936 grandeur and will ensure the delivery of Government of Canada programs and services to the public through the remodeled Service Canada Centre.
“This is a significant accomplishment,” said Minister Fortier. “We were able to achieve environmental excellence and the greening of government by modernizing building systems. We are also improving service delivery to Canadians through the remodeled, client focused Service Canada Centre.”
The project was completed in 2006 at a cost of $7.4 million and involved the modernization of all building systems, including a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning system and the replacement of all water piping. In addition, new electrical wiring, a new emergency generator and a freight elevator were installed. Interior architectural details were preserved to their original state throughout the building.
As well as Service Canada, the building houses offices for Public Works and Government Services, Health Canada and Canadian Heritage.
Service Canada is the main tenant of the Dominion Public Building. On the ground floor of the building is the Service Canada Centre, which is the main point of contact for people in the area seeking government information and services. The Service Canada Centre provides citizens with information and services on programs such as Canada Pension Plan, Employment Insurance, Old Age Security, ecoAuto rebate and pleasure craft licensing. Service Canada operations were consolidated from three offices to the single location in the Dominion Public Building.
The London Dominion Public Building was erected in 1936 and is an extraordinary example of Art Deco, “classical modern” architecture. The Federal Heritage Building Review Office (FHBRO) has designated the building “Classified”, which is the highest designation available.
Public Works and Government Services Canada supports the daily operations of more than 100 federal departments and agencies. By providing innovative services to government, we help departments focus on what they do best: serving Canadians.
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Ce texte est également disponible en français.
For more information:
Frédéric Baril
Press Secretary
Office of Minister Fortier
613-868-1128
Meeta Bhimani
Regional Manager, Communications
Public Works and Government Services
416-512-5650
PWGSC news releases are also available on our Internet site at: http://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/medias-media/index-eng.html.
Backgrounder
Dominion Public Building – London, Ontario
The London Dominion Public Building was erected in 1936 and is an extraordinary example of Art Deco, “classical modern” architecture. The Federal Heritage Building Review Office (FHBRO) has designated the building “Classified”. The Dominion Public Building is the second highest rated “Classified” federal heritage building in Ontario (outside of Ottawa).
In 2003, funds were allocated for a complete building interior retrofit. The renovations began in early 2004 and included a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, new water piping, new electrical wiring, a new emergency generator and a new passenger/freight elevator installed for health and safety reasons. As well, the existing elevators were upgraded and preserved to their original state. The renovation project was recently completed at a cost of $7.4 million.
Currently, Service Canada occupies the ground floor and is the main point of contact for Canadian citizens in downtown London seeking information on federal government programs and services. Additional floors accommodate other Service Canada operations, as well as Heritage Canada, Health Canada and Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC).
As a result of this project, PWGSC has enabled all departments in the building to minimize office space in accordance with federal space accommodation standards, without reducing the visibility of the Government of Canada in regions and communities, and in keeping with its commitment to environmental excellence.
