Canadian Library of Parliament
Urgently Needs Major Repairs
A Canadian Parliamentary Buildings Advisory Council is estimating that the Library of Parliament in Ottawa will require $83-million Canadian ($56 million USD) for structural repairs. Former Commons Speaker John Fraser presented the report on November 25, saying that the 123-year-old neo-Gothic stone building needs a new copper roof, new heating and ventilation, new electrical systems, new storage and work space, and restoration of its historic reading room.
According to the November 26 Ottawa Citizen, the panel bowed to the wishes of government ministers who did not want renovations taking place during heavily attended millennial celebrations next year. Thus, even though the council’s report stressed the urgency of the project, it recommended a start date in 2001.
“This is a big task,” Fraser said. “It is more than simply patching and painting. In our minds, the Library of Parliament is perhaps the Jewel of Parliament Hill; but even jewels lose their sparkle.”
Posted December 6, 1999.
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