Library of Parliament Committee on May 24th, 2018

[Bob Saroya, Conservative, Markham—Unionville, ON]

I'm assuming your staff is going to be quadrupled, from one branch to the four or five, whatever the final number may be. Would that have a huge effect on your budget? Do you have to cut something to balance that, or are you comfortable doing what you need to do?

[Sonia L'Heureux]

It would be fair to say that there will be an increased pressure. If I take, for example, the visitor program, we currently do guided tours in one building. In the future, we'll be doing it in two buildings. Right there, you need people to just do the visit, marshal the people, and be able to respond to demand. We expect that more resources will be required.

Moving from our current situation to more points of service is making us look at our models. How do we do things? Do we need more resources? There's going to be a pressure, for sure. I believe that will be likely after my departure. Once this committee considers, probably in the fall, the estimates or the votes for the Library of Parliament, those questions will be brought to your attention.

I don't know if there's anything you might want to add. At the moment we're looking at what those pressures are. Part of the challenge is, again, related to the date of the move. If we have to be seated in those new buildings in September, well, we better get ready for that. If it's delayed for whatever reason, then that's a different scenario. We're still in the analysis of what the impact will be at that level.

[Bob Saroya, Conservative, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Going back to the boutique, I guess it's everybody's favourite place. Last time you mentioned that the sales had doubled, if my memory is correct, from the previous year, or something along that line. You're doubling the size of the boutique. What sorts of new sales are you expecting? Are they going to double, triple, quadruple ? Are you prepared to make those sales? I come from retail and I know the pressures on it. Are you prepared for this?

[Catherine MacLeod]

I believe we're prepared. We hired a crackerjack retail expert—a bit unusual for a library—a couple of years ago. She has made some serious changes in the boutique in terms of modernizing products, really fun new products. It's been going very well. Our sales have been growing exponentially. We're not in it to make money. We're in it to serve parliamentarians and visitors. We keep that in mind. We believe we're well prepared to have a really dynamic boutique in the new space.

[Bob Saroya, Conservative, Markham—Unionville, ON]

The last question is on the visual effects, or whatever you call it, the project for $5 million. Have you seen it, or can we see it before we leave so we can talk about it? I'm just following up for my friend across the aisle.

[Sonia L'Heureux]

It doesn't exist yet. We're still developing the concept, what goes in it, what points will be highlighted. While we understand Parliament, the creative side, the artistic side of it, that's where the National Film Board comes into play.

I know they started to document and gather information. That's where Carleton University helped with images, and we've done some recording of sounds in the buildings because sound is very much indicative of what goes on in there. But we haven't assembled anything yet. We're not quite there.

[Bob Saroya, Conservative, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Thank you.

[The Joint Chair, Liberal, Gagan Sikand]

Thank you.

Madam Jordan.

[Bernadette Jordan, Liberal, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Thank you, Chair.

First of all, I'd like to echo my colleague's sentiments about the great work you do. It's phenomenal. I was elected in 2015, and you've been a huge help to me and my staff, so thank you for that.

With regard to when you closed in 2000, how long were you closed for?

[Sonia L'Heureux]

I believe we were closed for four years.

[Bernadette Jordan, Liberal, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Okay, so this is quite a bit longer.

The other question I have is this. You have five locations that are replacing this location, which, to be quite honest, I'm very sad to see closing. What happens to those five locations when you reopen? Are you going to maintain them? You've said they'll all be used for different things. If you move things back into the main library, what happens to those other locations?

[Catherine MacLeod]

We have three locations now. We also have a small branch at Confederation Building, and 125 Sparks, which will become our main focus during the 10 years, is currently also an active branch. We're renovating Confed and 125 Sparks, but you're right, we are opening new branches at West Block and at the Government Conference Centre. We'll have to see how popular they are. It's a great space for senators. It's on the mezzanine and the West Block is a unique and beautiful space as well. We'll see where we are and what the cost is over 10 years to keep operations going.

[The Joint Chair, Liberal, Gagan Sikand]

Thank you.

Senator Duffy.

[Michael Duffy, Senator, Prince Edward Island (Cavendish), ISG]

Thank you, Chair, and thanks to our witnesses for being here. I echo the congratulations on all the great work you do.

There's a fear among some senators that because we will be off campus, down the street, in some ways the Senate may be forgotten. I'm wondering if, first, on your video walls and wherever there's a video stream, you will make sure both chambers are up at all times. Secondly, we look around this historic railway committee room, which has been here since 1922, and we see the changes that have taken place in technology. We've now added on wireless routers and cameras, and it's a bit of an ad hoc arrangement. Will we have Wi-Fi across the precincts, so that tourists who come will be able to get virtual tours on their phones or commentary with tour guides on their various hand-held devices as they move from one area to another on Parliament Hill?

Can we assume that when this building is redone, all of that technology will be there, but most of it will be hidden, rather than add-ons, as we see today?

[Sonia L'Heureux]

When it comes to the content of those virtual experiences, for sure the Senate will be included in there. It is part of this Parliament. It is absolutely part of that content. I hope the senators will be reassured about that. Our library always ensures that both chambers are recognized in whatever is done on Parliament.

When it comes to technology, the Library of Parliament does not really have information on the extent of access to Wi-Fi technology, or what it will look like when we come back to this building. I don't think we really have information about that.

[Michael Duffy]

Maybe I can make it as a representation that we ensure that. I come from Prince Edward Island. There are campgrounds that are supposedly out in the woods. The campground operators tell me there is a demand now from people who come to camp to have Wi-Fi in the woods. I'm sure your experts will have thought of this, but I don't want us to be left without Wi-Fi.

Thank you.

[The Joint Chair, Liberal, Gagan Sikand]

Okay, we've reached 1:30 p.m. I'd like to thank the witnesses for coming in, and for the testimony.

Yes, Madam Quach.

[Anne Minh-Thu Quach, NDP, Salaberry—Suroît, QC]

I have a question. What is the status of our requests to have either the Clerk of the House of Commons or a member of the Privy Council appear before the committee to discuss all things digital? We said we would get back to this and that we would probably devote a meeting to this. I'm wondering where we are at with this request?

It was about the digitization of documents. I made this request at the last meeting of the committee, and I was told that this would be done.

I think the clerk of the committee was supposed to send the invitation.

[The Joint Chair, Liberal, Gagan Sikand]

If that's something the committee wants to discuss, we can discuss it at committee. If the committee would like, we can discuss that after we've released our witnesses.

[Anne Minh-Thu Quach, NDP, Salaberry—Suroît, QC]

I asked for this at the last meeting, and we said that we would do this and that we would discuss it at the next meeting of the committee. However, there is nothing on the agenda. So I don't know when to bring it up.

[The Joint Chair, Liberal, Gagan Sikand]

I've been told that it was actually just a suggestion last time, but if this is something you'd like to discuss, we could actually discuss it during committee business.

[Anne Minh-Thu Quach, NDP, Salaberry—Suroît, QC]

Yes, please.

[The Joint Chair, Liberal, Gagan Sikand]

That is duly noted.

Thank you for being here. I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the day.

The meeting is adjourned.