Indeed, as Mr. Wright said, this is a highly complex project that must meet the needs of parliamentarians, Parliament and the House of Commons for the next 50 to 100 years that follow. To do so, the Board of Internal Economy has set up a long-term working group for the project's long-term vision and plan.
The board gave a mandate to that group to examine, study and provide timely recommendations to them in respect of renovations and requirements that are integral to the House of Commons, its members and its operation. Two instructions were given to the working group when it was established, in March 2020. One was that the footprint of the size of the chamber must remain the same. The second important one was that the existing heritage of Centre Block must be protected and maintained, while recognizing that technology and modern equipment are necessary.
In regard to members of the working group, all parties are represented in that group. The chair of that working group is Deputy Speaker d'Entremont. There have been a few changes and adjustments pursuant to the last election. It's a group composed of eight members of Parliament. It's very important to have this group, as they represent the interest, knowledge and experience of members of Parliament. While it's a significant historic and symbolic place for Canadians, being the seat of democracy, it's also the workplace of parliamentarians. It must respond to the needs of the future, in terms of Parliament, as it grows towards the next century.
Obviously, the other authorization the board gave to the working group was to meet jointly with the Senate long-term vision and plan subcommittee, which is composed of senators. Centre Block is one of the buildings most shared between the two Houses. It's important that Parliament respond to the needs of all parliamentarians.
The working group has met over 12 times since its creation. A number of decisions and discussions have taken place with the very active membership and involvement of the members of the House of Commons. Some key decisions were made—obviously, on the chamber size, made by the Board of Internal Economy. The parliamentary welcome centre footprint was the subject of numerous discussions in terms of the needs of Parliament in the future. There were other decisions with respect to the hoarding design and in terms of the tarp covering Parliament during construction, which will go on for a decade, let's say.
Other subjects of importance included recognizing growth in terms of lobbies and galleries in the chamber. Lobbies, as you all know, are quite small and not necessarily comfortable or conducive for members in terms of preparing for the proceedings in the chamber. One of the decisions made was that lobbies in the Centre Block would be on two floors—the main lobby, as you know it, and also a support lobby on the floor below. They would be interconnected and would facilitate movement, allowing you to have meetings and a bit more freedom to manoeuvre.
A big decision that involved many partners and stakeholders, not only in terms of Parliament institutions but also, for example, the National Capital Commission and the City of Ottawa, was the location of the entrance of the parliamentary welcome centre.
It had to be intuitive for Canadians and for the public in terms of how they access their Parliament, your Parliament. I must say that it was a successful endeavour, but quite complex.
Another item, for example, was a public engagement strategy. PSPC had the support of the working group and the board to do a national survey. I understand this survey has been made public.
Recognizing the growth, there was an opportunity, for example, in Centre Block to infill above the Hall of Honour. The working group made that recommendation to the board, which it approved. There will be three floors above the Hall of Honour. The design in terms of its virtual use is still under discussion and under review, but there was a consensus between the two Houses that the top floor, the sixth floor, would be a gathering place for the parliamentarians of both Houses.
There is still a lot to do.
As for future issues, some discussions are already under way, specifically on the subject of designing new floors for the Hall of Honour, the visitor welcome centre and details of the location and capacity of the public café.
As for the seats in the public galleries, there are some issues to resolve, such as to ensure accessibility. The working group and the Board of Internal Economy have recognized that these needs will cause a reduction of the public galleries' capacity.
Among other upcoming subjects, there is obviously circulation between the tunnels and all three buildings, as well as the design of the parliamentary dining room, which will be reviewed and modernized while maintaining its heritage character.
There is also the issue of parliamentary offices in Centre Block. Give the infrastructure and mechanical needs, among others, the number of parliamentary offices in Centre Block will be reduced. All of these issues will be raised before the working group. The issues of security measures and posture will of course be reviewed by the working group.
The overall design of the parliamentary welcome centre, the circulation, the Charles Lynch room and MP services, which will be available in the parliamentary welcome centre, are also very important.
I'll pass the floor back to Mr. Wright, but we'll be happy to answer all your questions at the appropriate time.