A temporary flat cover has been installed to protect the building while the permanent roof’s steel substructure is rustproofed—a yearlong process that will require removing the old copper cladding and steel decking, the Ottawa Hill Times reported September 1.
Paul Frame, senior project manager for Public Works and Government Services Canada, said the building hasn’t had such extensive work since 1952, after a dome fire. The renovation also includes improving the library’s archival storage areas by raising ceilings of two sub-basements and upgrading sprinkler systems and temperature and humidity controls.
The library’s collections were moved to a temporary site before it closed in February. Construction is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2005.
Posted September 8, 2003.