Canada's Parliament

[White Pine]

I remember a thread a while back(a few years, actually) where someone thought we should build a new parliament. I wondered why anyone would think that. Recently (somewhat), Google started showing the interior of centre block on streetview, which is an opportunity to show off how epic our parliament is.

They're restoring these buildings to the tune of 5 billion dollars, and IMO it's worth it. We won't see buildings like this again.

Some views:

Exterior: https://maps.google.com/?ll=45.42382...7.82,,0,-16.19


Library: https://maps.google.com/?ll=45.4254,...5.53,,0,-17.96

House of Commons: https://maps.google.com/?ll=45.42467...330.4,,0,-4.09

Senate: https://maps.google.com/?ll=45.42531...329.4,,0,-8.05

Front Foyer: https://maps.google.com/?ll=45.42483...37.11,,0,-9.73

Hallway from Library: https://maps.google.com/?ll=45.42517...5.16,,0,-10.08

Office featuring political map: https://maps.google.com/?ll=45.42508...64.46,,0,17.53

Memorial Chamber: https://maps.google.com/?ll=45.42481...252.37,,0,2.04

[1overcosc]

Where are they going to fit those 30 new MPs exactly? As our country grows and requires more MPs to keep pace with that growth, we're going to run out of the room in the House eventually....

[Architype]

^ Portable trailers perhaps.

[ue]

The UK manages fine with its cramped House.

[trebor204]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Where are they going to fit those 30 new MPs exactly? As our country grows and requires more MPs to keep pace with that growth, we're going to run out of the room in the House eventually....

There are actually doing some work this summer to find a way to add the 30 new MPs

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/hous...mmer-1.2689859

Right there is construction on the West Block that will served as a temporary home for the House of Commons when the Centre Block is being renovated in 2018.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/42m-...ament-1.991724

Information on the Project

http://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/colline...-hill-eng.html

[eemy]

Sit on the floor cross-legged?

[MonctonRad]

Put the spillover in the Senate. Harper isn't using it any more….

[SignalHillHiker]

It's a beautiful building. The library, especially, is lovely.

It does seem a little small for a federation the size of Canada. And they really should let it go just a little bit. The stone walls in those hallways, etc., looks a bit fake when maintained to such perfect standards.

[vid]

Originally Posted by ue

The UK manages fine with its cramped House.

They can only fit about two thirds of their MPs into the chamber, and instead of having individual seats with desks like our MPs have, they just have long benches and there are no desks.

Our house could probably comfortably fit around 400 MPs, but eventually it might be wise to change the constitution so that we have a fixed number of MPs instead of just adding more and more every 10 years.

[JHikka]

The temporary House in West Block is going to be amazing IMO. Glass ceiling, natural lighting...

Originally Posted by vid

They can only fit about two thirds of their MPs into the chamber, and instead of having individual seats with desks like our MPs have, they just have long benches and there are no desks.

Despite the UK's issue with having too many MPs for their house I like their benches model more than our desk model. The setup with the PM and Opposition leader is also better than ours.

Originally Posted by vid

Our house could probably comfortably fit around 400 MPs, but eventually it might be wise to change the constitution so that we have a fixed number of MPs instead of just adding more and more every 10 years.

I'd be ok with that, as long as people are reasonably ok with the vote for their MP being worth less and less as the population increases. Right now it's roughly ~100K persons/MP. The issue with fixing numbers would be changing the number of MPs from certain areas. The most striking issue is with the Atlantic Provinces, most notably PEI. PEI currently has 4MPs for a population of about 120K, and as it stands right now they cannot have less than 4 as Constitution dictates that they cannot have fewer MPs than they have Senators.

In such an instance, fixing the number of MPs would require removing MPs from some areas (Atlantic Provinces) and moving them to where the growth is (Ontario/Alberta/BC/Sask) as population changes and fluctuates.

[SignalHillHiker]

That'd never fly. Though over-represented, the Atlantic provinces already feel powerless in Ottawa.

The fact of the matter is we have regions. Population isn't the only factor that matters.

[Innsertnamehere]

Essentially everywhere but Alberta feels unrepresented under Harper

[Chadillaccc]

Which is hilarious, since he's done more for Ontario than he's specifically done for Alberta

[mistercorporate]

I concur with innsertnamehere.

[Architype]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

It's a beautiful building. The library, especially, is lovely.

It does seem a little small for a federation the size of Canada. And they really should let it go just a little bit. The stone walls in those hallways, etc., looks a bit fake when maintained to such perfect standards.

You mean maintain it to the standards of the Confederation building in St. John's? A cheap, slightly tacky and leaky makeover and with a cost probably more than the original construction cost. It'll look like a corporate headquarters when finished.

I visited Ottawa once, and found it well maintained in that understated Canadian way, but it had a "not really lived in or enjoyed" feeling, but I was suitably impressed with the Parliament buildings.

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by JHikka

The temporary House in West Block is going to be amazing IMO. Glass ceiling, natural lighting...


Despite the UK's issue with having too many MPs for their house I like their benches model more than our desk model. The setup with the PM and Opposition leader is also better than ours.


I'd be ok with that, as long as people are reasonably ok with the vote for their MP being worth less and less as the population increases. Right now it's roughly ~100K persons/MP. The issue with fixing numbers would be changing the number of MPs from certain areas. The most striking issue is with the Atlantic Provinces, most notably PEI. PEI currently has 4MPs for a population of about 120K, and as it stands right now they cannot have less than 4 as Constitution dictates that they cannot have fewer MPs than they have Senators.

In such an instance, fixing the number of MPs would require removing MPs from some areas (Atlantic Provinces) and moving them to where the growth is (Ontario/Alberta/BC/Sask) as population changes and fluctuates.

Letting the number of citizens per MP grow is something I am very much against.

Small constituencies are important for a number of reasons:
1) Easier accessibility to your MP--it's easier for your MP to hear you if you're one of 100,000 as opposed to one of 500,000
2) Most importantly--financial viability of campaigning. In the US Congressional districts are huge, each guy represents something like 700,000 people. In order to win an election in an area that size, you have to have a huge campaign budget. Our small ridings make it feasible to win just by door-to-door and other small-$ tactics which helps keep our democracy less money-spoiled than in the US.

[Kitchissippi]

The MPs will definitely feel cramped after they return to the renovated chamber from the airy and light-filled interim space they're getting in the West Block:

[ue]

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

Which is hilarious, since he's done more for Ontario than he's specifically done for Alberta

Especially Edmonton. His Alberta is Southern Alberta and yet somehow he still manages to remain popular in Central and Northern Alberta. Sometimes I don't get Alberta...

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Where are they going to fit those 30 new MPs exactly? As our country grows and requires more MPs to keep pace with that growth, we're going to run out of the room in the House eventually....

Half of them don't show up to work anyway.

Anyway, I would consider keeping the House of Commons in the West Block even after the Centre Block renovations and have the original HoC historic museum piece of sorts.

There also the option of pulling something similar with the Centre Block as what they are doing the West block, i.e. build a new, larger HoC in a courtyard.

[jmt18325]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

It does seem a little small for a federation the size of Canada.

The building is massive and imposing. There's nothing small about it.