Design Unveiling for the Rehabilitated Sir John A. Macdonald Building and Transfer of Stone Carving to the Museum of Civilization

Speaking Notes for The Honourable Diane Finley
Minister of Public Works and Government Services

Ottawa, Ontario
October 10, 2013

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Good morning everyone. I'm very pleased to be here with you today.

We are here, just a stone's throw from Parliament Hill, to unveil the artist's renderings for the future look of this gem of a heritage building.

As we all know, for many decades, it housed the Bank of Montreal here in downtown Ottawa.

Now it is known as the Sir John A. Macdonald Building, and it is being polished to its full glory so that it can become yet another landmark in Ottawa's Parliamentary Precinct.

Some of may not know… but I have a special connection with Sir John A.

Just behind us—and a little to the east—sits East Block (another of our national treasures).

Many of the rooms and offices there have the spirit of our first Prime Minister…but one in particular is very special to me. You see, my late husband Senator Doug Finley, had the immense pleasure of having Sir John A's original working office in East Block. I only wished that those walls could talk from the early days Canada being a new country.

So, as you can imagine, I'm so pleased to be announcing the plans for an entire building in his name.

Today, for the first time, we are making public the designs for this work, which have been conceived by NORR [Nore] Limited, of Toronto.

These renderings show us a building that's going to be absolutely stunning–one that will truly befit our country's Parliamentary Precinct and our beautiful capital city.

The addition will increase the available space in the building from about 2,600 to just over 5,700 square metres and will provide supplementary meeting space to facilitate the work of Parliament.

And, once the project is completed, the former banking hall will fulfil the function of the Confederation Room, which was previously located in the West Block.

It will do just what that room always did, which was to serve Parliament as a site for meetings and ceremonial events.

EllisDon began work last year, and I am pleased to say that the project is on time and on budget—scheduled for completion in 2015.

Now, as I've mentioned once or twice… our Government's top priorities are job creation, economic growth and long-term prosperity.

And folks, for the duration of this project, there will be 600 jobs created or sustained in the private sector, particularly for skilled tradespeople. That's fantastic news for all concerned!

Now—having just been through this recently—I know that renovations often contain surprises. And they aren't always of the pleasant variety…

Well in this renovation, there has been a pleasant surprise.

As workers were stripping away the layers of drywall, they found an immense carving of the Bank of Montreal's coat of arms that had been covered over the years.

You'll see a reproduction of it here today. I encourage you to take a look because it really is impressive.

We would have been thrilled to have the actual carving on site, as well, but that proved to be logistically difficult. It measures one by one-and-a-half metres and weighs a mere 544 kilograms.

Now, the current building on this site was constructed in the early 1930s.

However, it replaced a structure that had been built 60 years prior to that.

So the evidence suggests that the tablet dates all the way back to 1872.

My department's Heritage Conservation Directorate documented the discovery of the stone carving and recommended how it should be best removed and protected.

Skilled stone masons then removed it and carefully crated it before it was put into storage to ensure its preservation at the Canadian Museum of Civilization.

Today, I am proud to tell you that the carving is being officially transferred to the Canadian Museum of Civilization.

And I am delighted that officials from the Bank of Montreal, the Canadian Museum of Civilization and the Sir John A Macdonald Bicentennial Foundation are present for this announcement.

As you know, the rehabilitation work being carried out here is part of the Long Term Vision and Plan for the Parliamentary Precinct.

Our Government is committed to ensuring the preservation of these historic buildings that are the most significant bricks-and-mortar symbol of our country's parliamentary democracy.

As Sir John A himself once said—“there is not one stick of timber, one acre of land, or one lump of lead, iron or gold that does not belong to the Dominion.”

This building belongs to Canada—and to Canadians. And we're exciting about its new chapter that will come to life soon and be here for many generations to come.

Thank you.