October 1 to December 31, 2024: Quarterly progress report on the Centre Block project
We’re restoring and modernizing the Centre Block. We’re also designing and building the Parliament Welcome Centre (PWC). It's the largest and most complex heritage rehabilitation ever seen in Canada. We estimate the cost to be between $4.5 billion and $5 billion. We aim to complete construction between 2030 and 2031. The Centre Block will reopen about 1 year later. This will allow Parliament to do testing and get the building ready for operations.
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Project health
The following graph provides an overview of the project health based on approved cost, scope, and schedule, each ranging from 0 (low impact of affecting the project) to 10 (high impact of affecting the project), within the quarterly reporting period. The Long Term Vision and Plan annual reports provide an assessment of the overall project health.
Text version for project health graph
Project health is represented by 3 elements: scope, cost and schedule. Each element’s status ranges from 0 to 10, where:
- 0 to 4 represents the project progressing in line with the planned approved cost, scope and schedule within the reporting period
- 5 to 8 represents the project progressing but experiencing challenges that may impact the cost, scope and schedule within the reporting period
- 9 to 10 represents the project progressing but experiencing challenges that have a high likelihood of impacting the cost, scope and schedule within the reporting period
Current status:
- Overall, the project is progressing in line with the planned approved cost, scope and schedule with a rating of 5
- Scope is in line with the planned approved scope with a rating of 1
- Cost is in line with the planned approved cost at a rating of 2
- Schedule is in line with the planned approved schedule with a rating of 7
Construction progress
Current construction activities for the Centre Block project.
Parliament Welcome Centre
We’ve started building the new structure. We began at the far west side and will move east. This work includes pouring the concrete for footings, walls, columns, stairs and elevators shafts.
Status: On track
Main excavation: Complete
Geo-exchange wells: Complete
Structural build: Started
Centre Block: Interior
Progress continues on the structural rebuild of the upper levels and the drilling of support posts in the basement.
Basement support posts: 89% complete
Structural rebuild: Started
Centre Block: Exterior
Stonemasons continue to work on the east and west façades. The scaffold roof enclosure on the west side is complete, and the scaffold in the east courtyard is nearing completion. We will begin the rebuild of the sloped (mansard) roof starting on the west side.
Status: On track
Overall completion: About 19% complete
East façade: 42% complete
West façade: 30% complete
North façade: Complete
Cost update
Spending to date on the Centre Block project is about $1.078 billion.
The overall budget was established based on a cost report completed in 2021. The report was provided by an independent consultant who validated the method we used to establish cost for the construction.
Centre Block project due diligence report: Cost report
Dollars spent against dollars budgeted (in billions of dollars)
Financial data as of December 16, 2024
Text version of Dollars spent against dollars budgeted graph
| Spent to date | Budget | |
|---|---|---|
| Centre Block and Parliament Welcome Centre | $1,078,000,000 | $4,500,000,000 to $5,000,000,000 |
Note: Please refer to the Long Term Vision and Plan annual report for expenditures related to the overall project
The Long Term Vision and Plan for the Parliamentary Precinct: Annual reports
Key milestones
The following timeline illustrates the major milestones we are working on this year.
Checkmark= Completed; Circle= In progress
2021
Spring
- Completed: Approve cost, scope and schedule
2022
Spring
- Completed: Finalize schematic design
Summer
- Completed: Obtain federal land use approval of schematic design
- Completed: Begin installing structural support to excavate the basement
Fall
- Completed: Begin conserving heritage assets
- Completed: Begin detailed excavation for the Parliament Welcome Centre (PWC)
- Completed: Complete masonry repairs on the north wall façade
2023
Winter
- Completed: Begin drilling geo-exchange wells for the PWC
- Completed: Begin installing temporary posts to support the basement excavation
- Completed: Begin scaffolding work on the east façade
- Completed: Complete main excavation for the PWC
Spring
- Completed: Begin repairing masonry on the east façade
- Completed: Begin removing and replacing the structural floor slab on level 1
- Completed: Install decorative tarps on the east façade
- Completed: Obtain federal land use approval of the landscape design
Summer
- Completed: Begin restoring the 22 carillon bells and keyboard that were transported to the Netherlands
- Completed: Begin scaffolding work on the west façade
- Completed: Complete the drilling of geo-exchange wells south of the PWC (accounts for about 45% of the wells)
- Completed: Complete the demolition and abatement of the Senate Chamber and dining room
- Completed: Excavate for the future connection to phase 1 of the Visitor Welcome Centre
Fall
- Completed: Begin excavation for the northeast section of the PWC
- Completed: Begin repairing the masonry on the west façade
- Completed: Install decorative tarps on the west façade
- Completed: Substantially complete the demolition and abatement
- Completed: Start the contracting process for elevators and escalators for both buildings
- Completed: Complete the 50% design development for the landscape
- Completed: Restore 50% of the stained glass windows
2024
Spring
- Completed: Started the contracting process for the Centre Block’s replica windows
- Completed: Completed 20% of the 100% target of temporary concrete shear walls to support the Centre Block during excavation work
- Completed: Completed 20% of the 25% target of the level 1 concrete slab rebuilding
- Completed: Started the contracting process for the new Parliament Welcome Centre’s structural build scope
Summer
- Completed: Completed west façade and west courtyard scaffolding, which will be used to support exterior work and the rebuilding of the sloped (mansard) roof
- Completed: Started structural work on levels 1 to 6 of the Centre Block
- Completed: Completed about 25% of the level 1 concrete slab rebuilding
Fall
- Completed: Completed construction documents for the Centre Block’s sloped (mansard) roof
- Completed: Completed the remaining temporary concrete shear walls to support the Centre Block during excavation work
- Completed: Completed about 30% of the 40% of the level 1 concrete slab rebuilding
- Completed: Started the structural build of the Parliament Welcome Centre
2025
Winter
- In progress: Complete the 100% design development for the landscape
- In progress: Complete drilling of the support posts in the Centre Block basement
- Completed: Complete the restoration of the 22 carillon bells
- In progress: Complete about 50% of the level 1 concrete slab rebuilding
- In progress: Start rebuilding the sloped (mansard) roof, starting on the west side
- In progress: Install the second tower crane in the middle of the PWC excavation site
Spring
- In progress: Begin excavating for the Centre Block basement levels
- In progress: Complete scaffolding in the east courtyard, which will be used to support exterior work and the rebuilding of the sloped (mansard) roof
- In progress: Start building scaffolding on the south façade
- In progress: Complete Centre Block and Parliament Welcome Centre design engagements and finalize decisions to complete the design development in fall 2025
Summer
- In progress: Install the third tower crane on the east side of the PWC excavation site to support the ongoing construction
- In progress: Start restoring the fresco paintings for future reinstatement in the Leader of the Opposition’s office
- In progress: Begin restoring heritage woodwork from the Pearson Special Heritage rooms
- In progress: Start restoring heritage marble flooring and wainscotting
2030 to 2031
- In progress: Complete main construction
Project spotlight
Each quarter, we highlight an element of work being done on the Centre Block or the PWC.
Design narrative
A design narrative is the story a building tells through its design, materials and function. The design of the historic Centre Block and new PWC not only provides state-of-the-art accommodation to support a modern parliamentary democracy, it will also make meaningful connections between the building’s rich history, Parliament, the Canadian people and the surroundings.
Parliament Hill is at a confluence of rivers, of people, of ideas and of hopes from our past and present, and for our future. It’s a place of gathering, exchange, dialogue and debate, supporting the activities of Canada’s Parliament.
The new PWC’s entry sequence connects water, sky and land, creating an engaging journey for visitors. The landscape and architecture promotes a sense of welcome and symbolizes the coming together of rivers at its core. It embraces the power of openness and transparency, emphasizing inclusion through its sequence of unfolding spaces and experiences.
The final landscape design will be delivered in winter 2025, followed by the Centre Block and PWC designs in fall 2025.
In future spotlights, we will showcase examples of how this narrative is reflected throughout the design via water, sky and land references.
- A satellite view of Ottawa, highlighting Centre Block’s location as the confluence of the Gatineau, Ottawa and Rideau rivers.
- An image of the concept design of the new PWC, showing the view of the Peace Tower through a skylight.
- An image of the concept design of the new PWC at the main level, showing the ribbed wood ceiling finish and the foundation stone.
- A cross-section showing the connection between the Centre Block and Canada’s new PWC, highlighting the concept of a river flowing throughout the buildings. This is reflected by a blue ribbon line that starts at the Queen’s Gates and runs through the new PWC, to the Centre Block building, up the elevators and ends in the courtyard(s).
- An image of the concept design of the new PWC at the main level. The image shows a tile floor finish depicting multiple streams of water through a basic layout of long, narrow rectangular tiles.
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