Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Good morning, everyone.
Building on nearly 125 years of experience, the NCC is the principal planner and steward of federal lands and assets within the national capital region, which consist of over 11% of the land mass and include over 1,000 buildings, 300 kilometres of pathways, 145 bridges and many more assets, the total value of which exceeds $2.2 billion.
The building and grounds of Rideau Hall, comprising 26 historic buildings and 79 acres of property, have been managed by the NCC since 1988. As stewards of this national historic site, the NCC is responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of all aspects of the site's infrastructure from sewer lines to energy, from land maintenance to building systems.
This work is conducted from the operation zone, the working area of Rideau Hall that houses the RCMP, the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General and the NCC, which uses the operation zone as the base for the NCC management of Rideau Hall as well as the other official residences.
The redevelopment of the operation zone started in 2003 with the conversion of the stables buildings to OSGG offices, the renovation of the Dome Building and then work to modernize and expand the RCMP garage and offices. The names of the buildings in the operation zone, used in shorthand, reference their historic vocation as an agricultural area and working farm.
In 2013, it became clear that four buildings used to service, maintain and store equipment used to manage the 79‑acre Rideau Hall site and other official residences had reached the end of their useful life. The buildings didn't meet operational needs, causing significant health and safety issues. We therefore began planning to replace them.
The project would include selective demolition of the buildings, remediation of the contaminated soil, and the construction of one energy-efficient and modernized building that could serve as a service, maintenance and storage facility while also accommodating the 20 to 40 year-round and seasonal employees who would operate out of the site.
Constructing a new facility also presents a unique opportunity to build to zero-carbon specifications, thereby reducing Rideau Hall's overall carbon footprint, something especially important given that the NCC, as one of only two federal Crown corporations to voluntarily adopt the Government of Canada's sustainable development strategy, is committed to achieving zero carbon across its portfolio by 2050.
Before the NCC could break ground on a new facility, detailed and extensive studies and levels of federal approvals were required, including by the Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office, given Rideau Hall's status as a national historic site.
In 2019 the NCC board of directors approved the project budget, which included the costs of demolition, decontamination, studies, risks, contingencies, designs as well as construction. The work began in 2020 and the facility was completed towards the end of 2021.
There is value in briefly explaining how the project was carried out. In 2018 prior to the start of the project, to enable the NCC to deliver on its deferred-asset maintenance, the NCC held a competitive public tender to retain construction management services to deliver on the dozens of construction projects the NCC initiates each year throughout its portfolio.
The public tender was awarded to the lowest compliant bidder, Pomerleau, a Quebec-based construction company with extensive national and international experience.
Pomerleau built the maintenance and storage building for the NCC. To ensure competitive pricing, Pomerleau posted 20 public tenders on MERX for pre-qualified suppliers to line up all the disciplines required to build the building.
Despite cost increases due to the COVID-19 pandemic and significant construction, inflation and supply chain challenges, the project was delivered within the project envelope.
Lastly, Mr. Chair, I have a quick note on the building's energy performance. Not only is the building net-zero carbon, but it also generates 40% of the energy it requires to operate, far exceeding the zero-carbon building standard minimum requirement of 5%, creating a negative carbon footprint and reducing the cost of energy on the Rideau Hall site.
In conclusion, Mr. Chair, I would like to reiterate that the NCC takes its role as a steward of public funds extremely seriously as it fulfills its mandate of building an inspiring capital, while conserving, maintaining and restoring its extensive natural and built assets for future generations.
Thank you.
