Question Period Note: Rehabilitation of the Supreme Court of Canada and the West Memorial Buildings

From 2019 to 2024, the West Memorial Building (WMB) will undergo rehabilitation in order to meet the standards of the National Building Code of Canada. Once rehabilitation is complete, the WMB will temporarily accommodate occupants of the Supreme Court of Canada Building (SCCB) from 2024 to 2030, as the SCCB undergoes its own rehabilitation.

• Over $1 billion is being invested in the Supreme Court of Canada Building and the West Memorial Building’s rehabilitation
  • When completed, these buildings will provide modernized workplaces that are safe, secure, accessible and environmentally sustainable, while retaining their heritage value
  • These projects will create jobs for the middle class by creating employment opportunities for Canadians in construction, manufacturing, and professional services

If pressed on current building conditions:

• All measures to ensure the continuous delivery of operations in the Supreme Court of Canada Building are in place, including the monitoring of key building components and pursuing urgent repair and maintenance

If pressed on Indigenous involvement in the Program of Work:

• Public Services and Procurement Canada has been working with the Construction Manager to hire Indigenous firms or staff during the West Memorial Building construction phase. The Construction Manager hired Indigenous employees to provide demolition work over a six-month period
• Another contract was awarded to Adirondack Information Management, an Aboriginal supplier, for project monitoring services. The supplier is providing independent health checks and quick review on the program of work in order to assess its effectiveness and identify areas of improvement
• A competitive contract was awarded to an Indigenous firm Mishkumi for scheduling services
• The Supreme Court of Canada Building rehabilitation project, through upcoming tendering processes in the fields of architecture, engineering, construction and support services, will include point-rated Indigenous Benefits Plans. The objective is to develop meaningful engagement, lasting relationships, and sustainable benefits for Indigenous communities and businesses through employment, training and skills development, subcontracting, innovative measures

The WMB has been vacant since 2008 and requires major rehabilitation in order to meet the standards of the National Building Code of Canada. Work began in fall 2019 and will include upgrades to meet current building standards for sustainability, health and safety, and accessibility, while at the same time conserving its heritage character.

The selection of the WMB for rehabilitation makes sense as it will allow a vacant classified federal heritage building, within the downtown Ottawa area to return to the active federal real estate portfolio.

From 2019 to 2024, the WMB will undergo its rehabilitation. It will serve as an interim space for occupants of the SCCB from 2024 to 2030 The SCCB rehabilitation will take place from 2024 to 2030 once the occupants have moved into the WMB.

The contract award to EllisDon Corporation for construction management services was announced on October 26, 2018, and the contract to Moriyama & Teshima Architects and Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Planning Ltd. for design and architectural services was announced on February 23, 2018, for the WMB rehabilitation project.

Demolition started in October 2019. A City of Ottawa permit was received and construction started in April 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic situation has had minimal impact on the project schedule.

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