Public gets rare sneak-peak behind construction on Parliament Hill

Visitors were given a rare behind-the-scenes look at the work underway on Parliament Hill’s Centre Block for Doors Open Ottawa. CTV’s Natalie Van Rooy reports.

The public got a rare peak behind the curtain at the massive restoration project on Parliament Hill on Sunday.

The annual Doors Open Ottawa gave a closer look at the multi-billion dollar upgrades of the Centre Block and the construction of the new Parliament welcome centre.

Public interest for the project has been high as the project has largely been hidden from view behind steel scaffolding.

“This is certainly the largest and most complex rehabilitation of it’s kind in Canada and actually maybe even in the world,” said Jean Francois Robert, a director general for Public Services Procurement Canada.

The project kicked off in 2018 and is currently scheduled to be completed in a few years, with a price tag ranging between $4.5 billion to $5 billion.

“The plan was always for the construction to be substantially completed around 2030 to 2031 and it’s going to take some time for the parliamentary partners to move in, do the testing and do the dry run, so that’s why the opening date of 2032 is still what we are striving for,” said Robert.

Officials say the site is complex with a focus on restoration, modernization, and maintaining tradition. Many visiting the area on Sunday found it fascinating.

“The history, the architectural decisions, and how they are modernizing it for the new century compared to when it was built,” said Angela Williams, who has visited the area throughout the construction.

“It’s also interesting with the number of different experts involved and how articulate they are in describing what they do.”

Parliament’s restoration reaches up to two floors underground. Experts were on site on Sunday to describe the methods being used during the work.

“It was also fascinating seeing how they are using the old technologies,” said visitor Teodor Gaspar.

“We saw the tools that they are carving with and how they keep it as authentic as possible. They are recreating that which is also interesting.”

The work continues at the site every day.

“Right now there is between 800 and 900 workers on site every day,” said Robert.

“Construction is going on and it’s anticipated with many challenges because it is a complex task to build a new basement underneath the building and renovating something that is within a heritage environment.”

Robert says the construction is now reaching the full building mode as the design is completed.

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