Executive summary: The Long Term Vision and Plan for the Parliamentary Precinct—Annual Report 2022 to 2023

On this page

• Auditor General Report on the Rehabilitation of the Centre Block
• Building a Modern, Integrated Parliamentary Campus
• Future of Wellington Street
• Building Sustainable Practices
• Universal Accessibility

In 2022 to 2023, significant progress continued to be made in support of advancing the Long Term Vision and Plan (LTVP). Key results and milestones include:

Auditor General Report on the Rehabilitation of the Centre Block

In a report tabled in March 2023, the Auditor General praised Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC)’s work on the Centre Block, noting the department had used flexible approaches to effectively manage scope, schedule, and costs in the early construction phases of the project, despite challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic. The Auditor General also acknowledged the department’s efforts to work closely with partners, external experts and stakeholders, notably Indigenous communities, to develop a scope of work that effectively balances the needs of Parliament with heritage, accessibility, inclusivity and sustainability considerations.

Building on the observations of a 2010 audit on rehabilitating the Parliamentary Precinct (PDF), the Auditor General found that decision-making remained fragmented with accountability split between Parliament (responsible for requirements) and the government (responsible for project planning and delivery, as well as budget), and that key decisions were not always endorsed in a timely manner. As a result, the Auditor General observed an increasing risk of impacts to cost and schedule. To support timely decision making, the Auditor General recommended tabling of an update twice per year to the Speakers of the Senate and House of Commons, outlining key decisions required along with the risk of delayed decision-making.

Building a Modern, Integrated Parliamentary Campus

In 2017, an update to the LTVP was launched to shift towards building a modern integrated parliamentary campus that connects the buildings throughout the Precinct in support of efficient parliamentary operations (for example, accessibility, sustainability, security, and materials handling). Considerable advancements were made in 2022 to 2023 towards this goal, including:

• Centre Block rehabilitation project—interior demolition of the Centre Block building continued in parallel with excavation of the new Parliament Welcome Centre. Once complete, the Centre Block will be a model for an accessible and sustainable Parliament, while the new Welcome Centre will connect for the first time the East, Centre and West Blocks allowing for the safe and efficient movement of people and goods, reducing vehicle traffic between buildings.
• Safe movement of people and goods—Parliamentary Partners endorsed a conceptual model for a Material Handling Node and underground connections that will link the parliamentary facilities on Parliament Hill with new permanent facilities south of Wellington Street to further support the safe and efficient movement of people and services throughout the entire Precinct.
• Block 2—the rehabilitation and modernization of Block 2 are a keystone project in the LTVP that will transform functionally obsolete heritage buildings into modern, sustainable, and accessible facilities. This redevelopment will serve permanent parliamentary accommodations, enabling the consolidation of Parliament into a coherent and integrated campus.

A connected campus—Significant work also progressed on modernizing communication and information technology for the numerous buildings within the campus, including connective infrastructure elements aimed at improving the business needs of Parliamentarians and providing safe, secure and efficient operations of Parliament.

Future of Wellington Street

Parliament was at one time bounded securely on Parliament Hill by Wellington Street. However, parliamentary operations have expanded to the three city blocks across from the Hill in alignment with the objectives of the updated LTVP. Over the next 10 years, more than half of the parliamentary offices will be permanently located here. The 2022 illegal protests highlighted long-standing challenges associated with this approach, and in particular the risks of a city-owned roadway running directly through the Precinct. In March 2023, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) committed to launch discussions with the City of Ottawa on acquiring Wellington Street as a critical first step to addressing these challenges. Through this collaborative engagement, the aim is to create a plan that preserves the Parliamentary Precinct as a safe, open and accessible place in a manner that works for local residents, businesses and visitors.

Building Sustainable Practices

A guiding principle of the LTVP is to make the Parliamentary Precinct a model for sustainability by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change. In 2022 to 2023, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) updated its Net Zero Carbon Portfolio Plan and continued the green operations of its portfolio, including pilot testing new innovative technologies such as the drilling of a geo-exchange field which began during the year and will support a net-zero operational carbon target for the Centre Block. Strategies were also advanced on how to reduce embodied carbon associated with construction materials. For example, the Block 2 rehabilitation project largely avoids demolition, with new elements designed for the circular economy by incorporating recycled materials such as reclaimed copper from other projects in the Precinct into the new building’s façade. Work also continued on the Energy Services Acquisition Program (ESAP), which is replacing energy-intensive high-temperature steam systems with more energy-efficient, low-temperature hot water systems.

Universal Accessibility

Achieving Universal Accessibility (UA) excellence is a priority for the LTVP. In the fall of 2022, the department finalized the Universal Accessibility Strategy and Action Plan (Strategy), providing a practical and phased approach to identifying and integrating UA improvements into projects, as well as the maintenance and operations of facilities. Finalizing the Strategy was informed through active and sustained engagement with the Parliamentary Precinct’s UA Advisory Committee, which embodies the Government of Canada’s principle of “nothing without us,” ensuring that lived experience informs accessibility in the Precinct. In addition to advancing design activities in support of ongoing work within major projects, including the Centre Block and Block 2, the department advanced several targeted works throughout the Precinct. This includes exploration of the installation of a transformable lift at the main entrance to the East Block, replacement of doors at the Confederation Building, the installation of additional vertical power door operators at the West Block and improvements made throughout the parliamentary grounds to remove stairs and create a gentle slope usable by all.