Evidence of meeting #3 for Library of Parliament in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was cost.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Jean-Denis Fréchette  Parliamentary Budget Officer, Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer
Terry M. Mercer  Senator, Nova Scotia (Northend Halifax), Lib.
Jason Jacques  Chief Financial Officer and Senior Director, Costing and Budgetary Analysis, Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer
Sonia L'Heureux  Parliamentary Librarian, Library of Parliament
Catherine MacLeod  Assistant Parliamentary Librarian, Library of Parliament
Michael Duffy  Senator, Prince Edward Island (Cavendish), ISG

1 p.m.

Liberal

Robert-Falcon Ouellette Liberal Winnipeg Centre, MB

Thank you.

1 p.m.

Liberal

The Joint Chair Liberal Gagan Sikand

Next we have Senator Mercer.

1 p.m.

Senator, Nova Scotia (Northend Halifax), Lib.

Terry M. Mercer

Thank you, Chair.

The opening of new branches and the changing of how you're going to operate while this place is closed are important. Do you have a plan for how you will educate the staff in all of our offices? In many cases that's the point of entry for constituents from across the country who call us in advance of their trip here. Are you going to be able to have a briefing, similar to what you have done today, for our staff?

As well, I want to thank you for remembering to put the East Block on the tour. It is still the hidden gem here, with the original offices of Sir John A. Macdonald and George-Étienne Cartier, and the original cabinet room, etc.

I encourage you, if you haven't been to the East Block, you have to go.

1 p.m.

Parliamentary Librarian, Library of Parliament

Sonia L'Heureux

Obviously we want to interact with the staff of parliamentarians. At the moment we're—to be fair—focused on the move. It's all about getting ready for the move and getting ready to occupy new spaces. Some are still being renovated at the moment.

It is part of what we're thinking about, though, once we start occupying these new spaces: to be able to do some outreach, some change management, to be able to tell our users where we are located, and to welcome them to our new spaces. That's very much top of mind for us.

I'm not in a position today....

Can you add...? Wonderful.

1:05 p.m.

Catherine MacLeod Assistant Parliamentary Librarian, Library of Parliament

Thank you very much.

It's a real pleasure to be here to share our work with you with respect to preparing for the move. With the Wellington Branch, I think the high numbers of parliamentarians and their office staff that we are seeing, who are working in the library and asking for services, are because of the orientation we had with them in that building.

We had a welcoming gift for them that included information about the library branch. We visited them individually and also had some training sessions for them in the branch. The beauty of having five branches during the 10-year closure period is that we will be closer to you and to your office support team. I think that's a positive benefit of the changes we're about to experience.

1:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Joint Chair Liberal Gagan Sikand

Okay.

We're moving on to Mr. Iacono.

1:05 p.m.

Liberal

Angelo Iacono Liberal Alfred-Pellan, QC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Good day, Ms. L'Heureux. Once again, I wish you a very happy retirement. You will be leaving us, but you are leaving us with many novelties, particularly this concept of a virtual immersion experience.

Could you explain how that will work? What impact will this have, for instance, on the parliamentary guide programs?

1:05 p.m.

Parliamentary Librarian, Library of Parliament

Sonia L'Heureux

Regarding virtual reality, we want to develop a Web platform to offer a similar visit to what is currently offered in Centre Block, which makes it possible to go to various places and explore. We want to make this a virtual experience. It's what I call 2D.

We want to go even further and use virtual reality technology thanks to which you will be able, from home, to use a virtual reality headset and have an immersive experience visiting the Centre Block. It will even be possible to go a bit further and interact with certain spaces that interest you and to explore them a bit more.

The last part will be a virtual visit to Centre Block from a location in Ottawa that has yet to be determined. You will go into a room, and it will be as though you were entering the Centre Block. All of these elements are being developed.

As for the guides, they will not really be affected by these projects. The guides will offer visits in the new buildings we will be occupying after the move. We are currently working on determining which aspects of these new buildings will be highlighted during these visits.

1:05 p.m.

Liberal

Angelo Iacono Liberal Alfred-Pellan, QC

What stage is the project at?

1:05 p.m.

Parliamentary Librarian, Library of Parliament

Sonia L'Heureux

We are still in the design phase; we are choosing what we will present through the different products. The deadline we have set for the Web platform is March 2019. For the products being developed for schools, we have a somewhat longer horizon, which is September 2019. As for the immersion experience, which will involve entering a room, we are aiming for December 2019.

1:05 p.m.

Liberal

Angelo Iacono Liberal Alfred-Pellan, QC

Where is that project with respect to the virtual experience?

1:05 p.m.

Parliamentary Librarian, Library of Parliament

Sonia L'Heureux

We have not yet created the immersion experience, which will involve going into a room. We haven't got a space yet, and we are holding discussions with colleagues from Public Services and Procurement Canada to find one.

1:05 p.m.

Liberal

Angelo Iacono Liberal Alfred-Pellan, QC

The cost...?

1:05 p.m.

Parliamentary Librarian, Library of Parliament

Sonia L'Heureux

Is your question about the costs of the spaces?

1:05 p.m.

Liberal

Angelo Iacono Liberal Alfred-Pellan, QC

Do you have any idea of the cost of the virtual experience?

1:05 p.m.

Parliamentary Librarian, Library of Parliament

Sonia L'Heureux

To fund the virtual experience, we've asked for $5 million in total.

1:05 p.m.

Liberal

Angelo Iacono Liberal Alfred-Pellan, QC

Will the MPs and senators get an opportunity to view this beforehand so that we can go back home and tell our constituents, friends, families, etc., what to expect? On your part, is there also going to be an information period where you'll be informing the public of what to expect when coming to visit Ottawa? Is that all going to be taken into consideration?

1:10 p.m.

Assistant Parliamentary Librarian, Library of Parliament

Catherine MacLeod

There's quite a lot of communication and change management information related to the closure of Centre Block for visitors and some of the new ways they will able to access Parliament, including the virtual experience, either in their homes across the country and beyond, or here in the capital region.

As the closure of Centre Block approaches we're having an opportunity through social media for parliamentarians' staff, former parliamentarians' staff, and Canadians to share their experiences about Parliament, whether it was as a child coming to visit with their class and so on, and that will be going on for a few months. Before we move forward with the new opportunities to access Parliament, we want to make sure there's also a chance for Canadians to share their experiences of Centre Block.

1:10 p.m.

Liberal

The Joint Chair Liberal Gagan Sikand

I'm sorry. We're going to have to cut you off.

1:10 p.m.

Assistant Parliamentary Librarian, Library of Parliament

Catherine MacLeod

We have a nice boutique that will be about double the size in the new visitor welcome centre. I mentioned the last time we were here that there are a number of new products.

1:10 p.m.

Liberal

The Joint Chair Liberal Gagan Sikand

Hopefully, you can get that information in with another question.

We're moving on to Ms. Dzerowicz.

May 24th, 2018 / 1:10 p.m.

Liberal

Julie Dzerowicz Liberal Davenport, ON

Thank you for your presentation. It all looks beautiful, so much so that, as much as our current library is beautiful, I wonder what we're going to come back to. How is what we're doing now going to influence what we're coming back to? Who is designing the long-term vision for the Library of Parliament 10 years from now? I'm assuming there's someone working on that. Who is working on it, who's responsible for it, and what oversight is currently in place for it?

1:10 p.m.

Parliamentary Librarian, Library of Parliament

Sonia L'Heureux

I could start, but I think probably Madam MacLeod has more information than I.

There are different aspects to our activities during the closure. For example, one of the elements we're focusing on is visitors. That's part of what we do. There are plans in future years for an expanded visitor centre when we reopen Centre Block. At the moment, there is a team of people, including some of our staff, who are working on that and asking what we want to do when we come back to Centre Block and how we look into that.

We also have people in the library who are looking at our current space here and asking how we ensure that the building is kept in good order, that there's no flooding happening while we're away, and that everything is in good condition.

At the same time they are thinking about when we reopen in 10 years. Are there things that should be introduced in the building that we may not even think about at the moment? We have people here who work with our colleagues at PSPC, and obviously we are always in contact with the Senate and the House of Commons.

Is there something you can add to that?

1:10 p.m.

Assistant Parliamentary Librarian, Library of Parliament

Catherine MacLeod

No, it's just that. It's an iconic building. It's our symbol. It's so important as a gathering place. We are definitely thinking ahead 10 years.

We are thinking we'll make some improvements in terms of technology and so on before reopening. However, the library was renovated in the early 2000s, so as long as we protect the woodwork and the artifacts very carefully and the atmosphere is kept as it should be, we'll be looking forward to reopening when the work is done in Centre Block.

1:10 p.m.

Liberal

Julie Dzerowicz Liberal Davenport, ON

Just to follow through on that, it seems as though there's a leadership group that is helping to drive the visioning exercise. Does that exercise have to be approved by some body? What is the body that approves it? I would be grateful if you could tell me that process.