Parliament Hill Rehabilitation Project - Page 11

1overcosc · #**201** Posted **Jun 21, 2018, 2:07 AM**

I like that space a lot better than the actual House of Commons. The mix of the old and the new is just so beautiful. Wish it was a permanent move.

passwordisnt123 · #**202** Posted **Jun 21, 2018, 12:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mikeed

I really think we need to move towards benches (like the UK) and not desks- looks very school children like and always has. Just my long standing opinion.

Looks very impressive!

Don't worry, we almost certainly will have to move toward UK-style benches... at least eventually.

Unlike the UK and the US that has fixed their numbers at 650 MPs and 435 representatives respectively, Canada's current apportionment system (including senatorial clauses and grandfather clauses) all but guarantees that we'll always have an ever increasing number of MPs.

And the pace is increasing.

In 1949 (first election after Newfoundland was admitted to confederation) we had 262 seats. in the 1984 election 35 years later we had 282 seats for an average increase of about 5.7 seats per decade. But in the 31 years since 1984, we now have 338 seats as of the 2015 election which translates to an average increase of about 18.1 seats per decade.

passwordisnt123 · #**203** Posted **Jun 21, 2018, 12:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

I like that space a lot better than the actual House of Commons. The mix of the old and the new is just so beautiful. Wish it was a permanent move.

Agreed. It's almost a shame to have something this beautiful only be temporary. IIRC they say they're going to convert this space into meeting rooms after they move back to the regular house but I struggle to see how you can make this space into meeting rooms, logistically. Are they all going to have no ceiling? How do you deal with noise? Are they going to turn it into two floors?

Jamaican-Phoenix · #**204** Posted **Jun 21, 2018, 3:08 PM**

Wow, that's an excellent example of modern architecture. :O

TransitZilla · #**205** Posted **Jun 21, 2018, 3:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

I like that space a lot better than the actual House of Commons. The mix of the old and the new is just so beautiful. Wish it was a permanent move.

+1... the existing HoC has its history going for it, but this looks like a better space in pretty much every way.

Uhuniau · #**206** Posted **Jun 21, 2018, 4:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bradnixon

+1... the existing HoC has its history going for it, but this looks like a better space in pretty much every way.

I don't like how we keep treating legislative spaces in this country as disposable. Fix the current House chamber and move back into it when it's ready, as per the plan.

Paul29 · #**207** Posted **Jun 21, 2018, 5:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

I don't like how we keep treating legislative spaces in this country as disposable.

What space has been disposed of?

Uhuniau · #**208** Posted **Jun 21, 2018, 5:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul29

What space has been disposed of?

The Red Room in Quebec City, in part; the old Colonial Building in St. John's, replaced by a mid-century monstrosity that is now on (I think) it's THIRD legislative chamber; PEI has "temporarily" moved out of Province House but there's noise that it shouldn't move back in.

rocketphish · #**209** Posted **Sep 21, 2018, 4:24 PM**

Great article in the Globe with lots of excellent photography:

Quote:

The rehabilitation of Parliament Hill's West Block

Written By Chris Hannay
Photography By Blair Gable
Published September 20, 2018

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/cana...ls-west-block/

SkeggsEggs · #**210** Posted **Sep 21, 2018, 4:41 PM**

Thanks for sharing! The chamber looks absolutely incredible!

Visitor centre doesn't look too shabby either.

J.OT13 · #**211** Posted **Dec 23, 2018, 3:10 PM**

Form the Canada forum, Heritage Restoration thread.

Quote:

Originally Posted by White Pine

Here are a few West Block Rehab photo's from the government's website:

I like the idea of the Prime Ministers' portraits in the scrum room. This whole thing was really well done.

Committee Room

They dug under the building to add more rooms.

Plus video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oajxD--1jxM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8yWByNeb2Q

rocketphish · #**212** Posted **Jan 30, 2019, 12:37 PM**

Pipe bursts in newly re-opened West Block

The Canadian Press
Updated: January 29, 2019

OTTAWA — Members of Parliament are used to raising a political stink as part of their job.

But there was an odour of a different kind Tuesday coming out of the newly renovated West Block building that is now the temporary home of the House of Commons — the kind of smell that comes from water soaking freshly installed carpet.

A burst sprinkler pipe flooded several levels of the building, a day after members of Parliament started working there, including a section where the federal cabinet had met just hours before.

“I haven’t seen it, but I can smell it,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said as he left his office, near where water was pouring out of the broken pipe.

Rob Wright, the bureaucrat in charge of the recent West Block renovations, which took seven years at a cost nearing $1 billion, said the flooding appeared to be isolated to a single sprinkler pipe adjacent to a washroom.

But enough water poured out to cause the evacuation of a cafeteria two floors below.

Maintenance crews scrambled to mop up the mess, moving large barrels of brownish water out of the third floor meeting space, and bringing in industrial-style fans to try to dry the place out.

“It’s, I think, growing pains in a new building,” Trudeau said as he left the building to meet the premier of Prince Edward Island — in a different place, having been flooded out of the intended one.

“We’re all going to adapt and adjust to the challenges of moving into new digs,” he said, adding that his office wasn’t directly affected.

On their first sitting day in West Block on Monday, plenty of members of Parliament took wrong turns and had to be directed to the House of Commons they’re to use while Centre Block undergoes at least a decade of renovations.

Several people visiting the renovated building for the first time also noticed a display panel for one of West Block’s elevators was installed upside-down. Some doorways that were in full use for getting around the corridors were also marked with “Emergency Exit” signs left over from the renovations.

https://ottawacitizen.com/pmn/news-p...2-6756ab6e933a

J.OT13 · #**213** Posted **Jan 30, 2019, 4:58 PM**

I don't know if I should laugh

or cry

.

OTownandDown · #**214** Posted **Jan 30, 2019, 6:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by passwordisnt123

Agreed. It's almost a shame to have something this beautiful only be temporary. IIRC they say they're going to convert this space into meeting rooms after they move back to the regular house but I struggle to see how you can make this space into meeting rooms, logistically. Are they all going to have no ceiling? How do you deal with noise? Are they going to turn it into two floors?

Ten bucks says the Supreme Court moves in to the West Block HoC when Centre Block reno is done, just in time to complete extensive repairs and upgrades to the Supreme Court building.

Uhuniau · #**215** Posted **Jan 30, 2019, 7:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by OTownandDown

Ten bucks says the Supreme Court moves in to the West Block HoC when Centre Block reno is done, just in time to complete extensive repairs and upgrades to the Supreme Court building.

Venmo me ten bucks.

https://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/biens-...o-wmb-eng.html

rocketphish · #**216** Posted **Jan 30, 2019, 11:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by OTownandDown

Ten bucks says the Supreme Court moves in to the West Block HoC when Centre Block reno is done, just in time to complete extensive repairs and upgrades to the Supreme Court building.

Please refer to this thread:
https://forum.skyscraperpage.com/sho....php?p=8448640

Vixx · #**217** Posted **Jan 31, 2019, 2:31 AM**

Whatever happened to those rumours of a brand new SCC building? I guess those talks fell apart awhile ago?

Kitchissippi · #**218** Posted **Jan 31, 2019, 3:16 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vixx

Whatever happened to those rumours of a brand new SCC building? I guess those talks fell apart awhile ago?

I think you're referring to the Federal Court which is a totally different body. It's was (still?) slated to go on the lot west of the SCC building to complete the Justice triad. The SCC would never give up its heritage building much like Parliament.

YOWetal · #**219** Posted **Jan 31, 2019, 6:57 AM**

It does look good it's clear they didn't cut any corners, but I don't see how we are fine with spending up to $4 Billion on this but we can't spend $50 million on the PM residence.

Uhuniau · #**220** Posted **Jan 31, 2019, 3:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by passwordisnt123

Agreed. It's almost a shame to have something this beautiful only be temporary. IIRC they say they're going to convert this space into meeting rooms after they move back to the regular house but I struggle to see how you can make this space into meeting rooms, logistically. Are they all going to have no ceiling? How do you deal with noise? Are they going to turn it into two floors?

Yes - the plan (at least for now) is to deck over that space, eliminating the old West Block court entirely.

I can see that plan changing, though. Wouldn't be surprised to see the plan change to turn what will be the "old, temporary" House into a permanent space for receptions and state occasions.