Posted June 2, 2006.

Canada’s Library of Parliament Reopens

Canada’s Library of Parliament will reopen to the public June 3 after a four-year, $136-million ($124 million U.S.) construction project to preserve and renovate the 130-year-old building in Ottawa. The rehabilitation work was necessary to repair leaking windows, dangerous electrical wiring, and structural problems, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported May 31.

“We have touched everything on the building top to bottom, inside and out,” said Project Director Mary Soper. “We’ve brought it up to date.”

The work involved rebuilding parts of the exterior and digging below the structure to create a large, climate-controlled space for books and documents. The copper roof was replaced and the exterior masonry rebuilt. The renovated library has been fitted with computers and other modern equipment, but retains its old pine bookstacks and elegant, domed reading room.

Posted June 2, 2006.