The Working Group on the LTVP and the Centre Block Rehabilitation
Meeting 8 - Friday, June 9, 2023 (44th Parliament)

Meeting Minutes

Friday, June 9, 2023

An in camera meeting of the Working Group on the Long Term Vision and Plan (LTVP) and the Centre Block Rehabilitation (Working Group) was held on Friday, June 9, 2023, at 3:00 p.m., in Room 025-B, West Block.

In the Chair: Chris d’Entremont, Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons

Present: Hon. Steven MacKinnon, Carol Hughes, Martin Shields, Ruby Sahota, Louis Plamondon and Mark Gerretsen

Also Present: Michel Patrice, Deputy Clerk, Administration; Susan Kulba, Director General and Chief Architect, Real Property; Thomas Mason, Senior Program Manager, Centre Block Program; Darrell de Grandmont, Director, Major Crown Programs, Centre Block Program; Sylvie Chiasson, Senior Architect, Centre Block Program; Jennifer Garrett, Director General, Centre Block Program, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC); Rob Wright, Assistant Deputy Minister, Science and Parliamentary Infrastructure Branch, PSPC; Lena Trenholm, Senior Director, Centre Block Program, PSPC; Jonathan Zee, Senior Project Designer, Centre Block Rehabilitation; Suzette Goldstein, Director Planning, Centre Block Rehabilitation; and Greg MacCormack, Senior Advisor, Office of the Clerk and Secretariat

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DESIGN AND LANDSCAPE UPDATE

Jonathan Zee, Senior Project Designer, Centre Block Rehabilitation, and Suzette Goldstein, Director Planning, Centre Block Rehabilitation, presented an update on the Parliament Welcome Centre design and Parliament Hill landscape. They also answered questions with Jennifer Garrett, Director General, Centre Block Program, PSPC, and Chris d’Entremont, Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons.

PUBLIC GALLERY SEATING STRATEGY

Darrell de Grandmont, Director, Major Crown Programs, Centre Block Program, presented an update on and sought the Working Group’s endorsement for the proposed seating strategy for the public galleries in the House of Commons Chamber, and answered questions with Michel Patrice, Deputy Clerk, Administration.

The Working Group endorsed a phased approach to seating. In phase one, bench seating in the north and south galleries and individual theatre-style flip-up seats in the press gallery, the side galleries and the south gallery (floor level) would be introduced. In the second phase, modular bench seating in the east and west galleries would be made available when required and more individual theatre-style flip-up seats in the press gallery and next to universal accessibility spaces would be added.

At 4:12 p.m., the meeting was adjourned.

Greg MacCormack
Clerk of the Working Group