Procedure and House Affairs Committee on Dec. 9th, 2025

[The Chair, Liberal, Chris Bittle]

I call this meeting to order.

Welcome to meeting number 18 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(3), the committee is meeting for a briefing on Parliament Hill's long-term vision and plan and Centre Block rehabilitation. Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format, pursuant to the Standing Orders.

Before I continue, I would ask all in-person participants to consult the guidelines. There is a short video on the card in front of you. Please consult it, as it is important for the health and safety of everyone present, especially our interpreters.

I would like to make a few comments for the benefit of the members. All comments should be addressed to the chair. For members in the room, raise your hand, and for members on Zoom, if you do find yourself there—you know the drill—use the “raise hand” function.

I would like to welcome today's witnesses.

We have Tom Kmiec, member of Parliament and chair of the working group on the LTVP and Centre Block rehabilitation.

From the House of Commons, we have Jeffrey LeBlanc, deputy clerk, procedure, and Benoit Dicaire, chief information officer.

From PSPC, we have Jennifer Garrett, assistant deputy minister, parliamentary precinct.

Before I begin, I would like to, on behalf of the committee—occasionally they'll let me speak on behalf of all the members here—say thank you for the incredible tour. I know a lot of questions were answered during that tour, as it was very informative, but we will endeavour to ask a few more.

Mr. Kmiec will begin, and then we will proceed.

The floor is yours.

[Tom Kmiec, Chair, Working Group on the LTVP and the Centre Block Rehabilitation, House of Commons]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I have speaking notes for this. If you'll indulge me, I'll go through them.

Thank you, Mr. Chair and members of the committee. I appreciate the opportunity to provide this update on behalf of the working group on the Centre Block rehabilitation and the long term vision and plan, or LTVP. We understand that members of this committee have a strong interest in the LTVP and what Centre Block will look like when it reopens, how much will remain familiar, what will be restored or modernized, how the building is being adapted to meet future needs and how costs are being managed.

These considerations have been central to the working group’s deliberations, particularly with respect to the chamber, the galleries, the lobbies and the integration of family-friendly amenities, modern workspaces for members including enhanced technology, circulation, safety and security improvements, as well as accessibility enhancements.

The working group was established by the Board of Internal Economy in March 2020 to examine and provide recommendations on the broader long term vision and plan and the Centre Block rehabilitation. It includes members from all recognized parties and is chaired by the Speaker or their delegate, with the chief executive administrator of the House serving as secretary. While the board retains ultimate decision-making authority, the working group plays a central role in developing and presenting recommendations to the BOIE to ensure that the parliamentary perspective and requirements are consistently reflected in the LTVP and its projects.

Since the 2022 appearance of the working group before this committee, BOIE has approved recommendations related to the material handling strategy and the preferred tunnel alignments. In Centre Block and the Parliament Welcome Centre, the board approved the food service locations, including a new public cafe and the creation of new flexible workspaces for parliamentarians in the courtyard infill. The board also approved the seating approach for the chamber and the galleries, the configuration of the two-story lobbies, the number, location, and configuration of House officers suites and parliamentarian office units, and the processes governing the treatment of art and artefacts. In 2024, decisions were also taken on accessibility improvements for the Memorial Chamber and Peace Tower, lobby layouts, multimedia enablement, circulation, and strategies for the rehabilitation of heritage spaces and the landscape design.

Most recently, in 2025, the board approved the long term vision and plan update. As part of that update, members were provided with an overview of the planning work under way for Block 2, which refers to the city block bounded by Wellington Street and Sparks Street, between Metcalfe and O’Connor Streets. Block 2 contains eleven buildings, nine of which are designated federal heritage structures, including the former U.S. Embassy at 100 Wellington, the Wellington Building Annex, the Central Building, the Metropolitan Life Building, the Gibson Building, the Hope Building, the Edwards Building, the Bate Building and the Postal Station B façade. The redevelopment of this block will provide parliamentarian office units, while integrating and respecting the heritage character of the existing buildings.

In addition, the board endorsed the establishment of a dedicated indigenous cultural and ceremonial space in Centre Block and provided guidance on sustainability, cost optimization and several matters related to the Centre Block landscape and forecourt.

The working group remains committed to ensuring that decisions are grounded in parliamentary requirements, respect the heritage of this national institution and site, and meet the long-term needs of members.

With that overview, I will now turn to the chief information officer, Benoit Dicaire, responsible for real property services, who will describe the House administration’s technical role in the LTVP and the projects.

[Benoit Dicaire, Chief Information Officer, House of Commons]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'm here today with my colleague Jeffrey LeBlanc, deputy clerk, procedure. We welcome the opportunity to speak to the House administration's role in supporting the long-term vision and plan and Centre Block rehabilitation.

A key part of our work is ensuring that the renewed Centre Block remains recognizable to Canadians while meeting the functional, technological, safety and security needs of modern Parliament. This includes supporting decisions on elements that members care deeply about, such as how the chamber will function and evolve over time, how the lobbies and galleries are designed, how heritage furniture is protected, what is being added or improved and how the building is future-proofed to accommodate growth and accessibility.

Our role is to ensure that the operational security, information technology, accommodation, accessibility and symbolic requirements of the House of Commons are fully incorporated into the project. We work with Public Services and Procurement Canada and all of the House of Commons service areas, engaging subject matter experts across the administration through ongoing consultation to support project planning activities and design reviews and technical assessments. This collaboration provides the working group and the board with the evidence-based information required to make informed decisions at each stage of the project and ensures that our recommendations are rooted in operational expertise.

The House administration's involvement touches every aspect of the parliamentary workplace in support of parliamentary operations. This includes the development and oversight requirements for the chamber, the galleries and lobbies, the caucus and committee rooms, the leadership suites and members' offices, and the heritage spaces, as well as the circulation networks, accessibility and the integration and conservation of art and artifacts.

We oversee the technical requirements for modern multimedia and interpretation systems, as well as security, food services, material handling, connectivity and all aspects of the accommodation of workspaces. We further support project dependencies and swing space planning, including the sequencing of work related to block 2 and the Confederation Building.

As we look to 2026, the working group and the board will be concentrating on several priority elements of the LTVP and the Centre Block project. This includes further work on the chamber, with a particular focus on seating configurations and support for modern chamber operations.

The year ahead will also involve continued development of decorative arts and heritage integration. In addition, attention will be directed to the supporting programs associated with Block 2, such as tunnels, circulation considerations and campus-wide functional requirements to ensure that the redevelopment aligns with broader precinct needs and the long-term operational vision for Parliament. Each of these components is essential to ensuring the House of Commons will meet the modern operational needs of Parliament while protecting its historic character.

This project represents a significant and national opportunity to renew one of Canada’s most important parliamentary institutions. The administration remains committed to providing Parliament with the analysis and technical advice it needs to make informed, responsible decisions.

I will now turn to our colleague, Jennifer Garrett, the assistant deputy minister from Public Services and Procurement Canada, who will speak to the project delivery elements under her department’s responsibility.

[Jennifer Garrett, Assistant Deputy Minister, Parliamentary Precinct, Public Services and Procurement Canada]

Thank you Mr. Chair and members of the committee.

The parliamentary precinct is the heart of Canadian democracy, a source of pride for Canadians and an international landmark.

These beautiful heritage buildings are the core workplace of parliament and PSPC believes that it is essential for parliamentarians to be kept informed of, and more importantly, contribute to this modernization effort.

To this end, I have appreciated the close partnership we have had with the House of Commons administration to establish governance bodies, including the long-term vision and plan, the members of Parliament working group and the Board of Internal Economy. It is through these engagements and these governance bodies that we've been able to obtain key decisions in support of parliamentary requirements that are shaping the program.

The long-term vision and plan serves as the road map and guides precinct modernization. As Mr. Kmiec outlined in his opening remarks, many decisions have been taken in support of both the Centre Block rehabilitation and the broader LTVP program.

Before I provide a brief overview of key projects under way, I am pleased to advise that, in collaboration with the parliamentary administrations, PSPC has completed an update of the LTVP. Last updated in 2006, this new plan focuses on transforming the precinct into a secure, integrated parliamentary campus with the necessary infrastructure to support modern parliamentary operations while safeguarding the historic character of the precinct.

The work we are doing is more than construction; it's an investment in Canada. To date, approximately $5.9 billion has been invested in modernization efforts across the precinct, creating over 89,000 jobs in support of Canada's industrial base. Major projects like the Centre Block rehabilitation and the block 2 redevelopment will continue to contribute to Canada's economic prosperity.

Now I'll move on to the Centre Block rehabilitation program.

At the core of this transformation is the rehabilitation of the Centre Block and the construction of Canada’s new Parliament Welcome Centre. This project will modernize existing and provide new parliamentary capabilities, including a world-class visitor experience.

However, I would like to assure this committee that when Centre Block reopens, it will look very much as it did before. PSPC has pursued deliberate design approaches, like base isolation, that are preserving heritage spaces. Integrated design strategies have been developed for each of the almost 50 Pearson special heritage rooms. Finally, Centre Block's woodwork, heritage lighting, stained glass, frescoes and other heritage elements are being carefully restored and will be returned to their rightful places.

From a modernization and future-proofing perspective, the House of Commons chamber will be modified so that it can support the growth of the number of members of Parliament, in alignment with the Fair Representation Act. Heritage committee rooms and parliamentary offices will be upgraded, and the building will now feature additional functions, such as touchdown spaces for members who do not have offices in the building, meeting rooms and a family-friendly room.

With design development now complete, and as members witnessed at the tour this morning, reconstruction efforts are advancing rapidly. Approximately 17% of the structural work for the Parliament Welcome Centre is complete and 22% of Centre Block’s structural rebuild is under way.

Finally, this project is being built by Canadians for Canada. To date, more than 400 companies have contributed, with 95% of them being Canadian businesses and with trades from seven provinces. The domestic share of steel for the project rests currently at 65%, including 100% for the reinforcement of the Peace Tower. I am pleased to report that efforts are under way to significantly increase Canadian steel content using innovative manufacturing solutions.

With regard to block 2 and campus connectivity, the other major project under way is the redevelopment of block 2, which will convert a collection of deteriorated buildings into modern, secure and accessible spaces, providing essential accommodations and support infrastructure for parliamentarians.

PSPC has also launched projects, in collaboration with the parliamentary administrations, that will provide secure underground tunnels that connect buildings to the north and south of Wellington Street, as well as a new material-handling facility.

In closing, PSPC remains committed to working in partnership with Parliament to provide a modern, secure and integrated precinct that meets the needs of parliamentary democracy and is a welcoming place for Canadians well into the future.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I look forward to your questions

[The Chair, Liberal, Chris Bittle]

Thank you very much.

I was secretly hoping that the Deputy Speaker would go over time, but he's well under time. I was hoping to use that as a chit in the future, but it didn't happen.

We'll turn to Mr. Cooper from the Conservatives for six minutes, please.

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Sturgeon River, AB]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to the witnesses.

It's my understanding that the timeline for completion is 2031, with the full opening scheduled for 2032. Is that still on track?

[Jennifer Garrett]

I am pleased to report that your data points are accurate. Our intention is to complete substantial construction in the 2031 time frame.

Based on previous lessons learned with other projects, our intent is to give approximately 12 years of commissioning to the parliamentary administration so they can fire up the systems in the building and make sure everything is working—

[Tom Kmiec]

It's months.

[Jennifer Garrett]

I apologize. It's 12 months to commission the building, with an opening of 2032.

[The Chair, Liberal, Chris Bittle]

I'm sorry to interrupt, but the mics are very strong, so could you sit back. It's for our interpreters. You don't have to lean into it. Thank you.

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Sturgeon River, AB]

Thank you for that.

I'll go to Ms. Garrett for my next question, which is with respect to the sourcing of material.

You said that 65% of the steel has been sourced from Canada. Where is the other 35% being sourced from?

[Jennifer Garrett]

Let me clarify the question, so I'll back up. At this point, 65% is Canadian. We have not bought all the steel for the job, so we're still continuing to buy steel in support of the design process that's now coming to completion.

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Sturgeon River, AB]

You only—

[Jennifer Garrett]

I'm going to answer your question.

Some of the steel has been sourced from the U.S., and some of the steel has been sourced from further abroad, from Europe or even Asia.

At this point, I am happy to report that we've done some specific work with the steel industry, actually.

Am I still too close? I don't get this at my other committee appearances. Is this good?

[The Chair, Liberal, Chris Bittle]

Your p's are popping into the mic. You're very clear and we can hear you. If you just sit normally, you're okay.

[Jennifer Garrett]

All right.

As to what we're doing right now, when the tariff situation arrived, we did some great work with our construction manager, which is a joint venture of PCL and EllisDon, as well as with the steel industry, including members of the Canadian manufacturing industry—

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Sturgeon River, AB]

I appreciate that and I'll give you some time to elaborate on some of those points, but I just want to be clear that to date, 65% of the steel has been sourced from Canada. How much has been sourced from the U.S. to date?

[Jennifer Garrett]

At this point, for the project as it stands today, it's 45%, but that will move quite dramatically to close to 100%. It will be 100% Canadian-purchased and manufactured steel by the time we're done the project.

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Sturgeon River, AB]

I'm sorry. Just so I'm hearing you correctly, to date, 45% of the steel has been sourced from the United States.

[Jennifer Garrett]

It's been sourced from other countries, including the U.S., and from Europe and Asia.

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Sturgeon River, AB]

Okay. It follows, therefore, that we have seen the imposition of countertariffs on steel products that came into effect on March 13 of this year, I believe. What has been the impact of increased costs for sourcing steel in light of countertariff measures?

[Jennifer Garrett]

In full transparency, what we need to understand is that we're still in the process of buying steel for the job. The only steel you see is the steel we have on site and the steel we've done for our temporary reinforcement.

We are in the process of purchasing steel for the vast majority of the job, which is why we believe we're going to be very close to having 100% Canadian steel for this particular job by the time we're all done.

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Sturgeon River, AB]

I appreciate that the move is towards Canadian, but there have been countertariffs imposed, and I'm just trying to get an understanding of what impact countertariff measures have had on overall costs.

[Jennifer Garrett]

Right now, as it relates to steel, we expect to pay premiums on steel, and we've been transparent about that publicly.

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Sturgeon River, AB]

What would those premiums be?