Meeting - Working Group - Board of Internal Economy

Meeting Minutes

Friday, December 1, 2023

A meeting of the Working Group on the Long Term Vision and Plan (LTVP) and the Centre Block Rehabilitation (the Working Group) was held in camera on Friday, December 1, 2023, at 12:07 p.m., in Room 035-B, West Block.

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

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

Also Present: Stéphan Aubé, Deputy Clerk, Administration (Acting); Susan Kulba, Director General and Chief Architect, Real Property; Darrell de Grandmont, Director, Centre Block Program; Sylvie Chiasson, Senior Architect, Centre Block Program; Guillaume La Perrière, Director, Accessibility Implementation; Rob Wright, Assistant Deputy Minister, Science and Parliamentary Infrastructure Branch, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC); Jennifer Garrett, Director General, Centre Block Program, PSPC; Magda Hovjacky, Director General, PSPC; Lena Trenholm, Senior Director, Centre Block Program; Greg MacCormack, Senior Advisor, Office of the Clerk and Secretariat

PROPOSED KEY DECISIONS

Susan Kulba, Director General and Executive Architect, Real Property, and Chris d’Entremont, Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons, presented a proposed schedule for key priorities and decisions to support Working Group business. The Working Group endorsed the proposal, noting the week of January 22 as the only source of potential concern.

PARKING UPDATE

Rob Wright, Assistant Deputy Minister, Science and Parliamentary Infrastructure Branch, PSPC, presented a status update on the parking strategy for the area around Centre Block and the design direction for the landscape plan, and answered questions with Susan Kulba, Director General and Executive Architect, Real Property, and Stéphan Aubé, Deputy Clerk, Administration (Acting).

The Working Group requested that PSPC return at a future meeting with a recommendation on the parking strategy for the area around Centre Block and the update to the LTVP.

HALL OF HONOUR INFILL: DESIGN UPDATE

Susan Kulba, Director General and Executive Architect, Real Property, and Jennifer Garrett, Director General, Centre Block Program, PSPC, presented a status update on the proposed infill above the Hall of Honour as a shared workspace for parliamentarians on levels 4 and 5, and answered questions. The space on level 4 was discussed by the WG members as an outcome from the direction the Chair received at the Board of Internal Economy meeting of November 23, 2023.

The Working Group took note of the status update and recommended that the proposed space on level 4 of the Hall of Honour infill be dedicated for Indigenous ceremonial activities such as smudging and qulliq practices and constructed with an appropriate design and systems to accommodate these types of events.

CENTRE BLOCK REHABILITATION PROGRAM: MEMORIAL CHAMBER AND PEACE TOWER OBSERVATION DECK OPTIONS

Jennifer Garrett, Director General, Centre Block Program, PSPC, presented options for the Memorial Chamber and Peace Tower observation deck as part of the universal accessibility strategy, and answered questions.

The Working Group endorsed the following:

An enhanced experience for the Memorial Chamber (option 1), which includes
- within the Memorial Chamber:
  - hand-held devices to view the central altar for visitors who are not able to access the Memorial Chamber during ceremonies, and the installation of cameras above the central altar;
  - infrastructure for described video and American Sign Language (ASL) and langue des signes québécoise (LSQ);
  - public Wi-Fi inside the Memorial Chamber and in adjacent areas; and
  - applications and/or QR codes as examples that could enhance the experience with the use of a personal hand-held cellular device.
- in areas adjacent to the Memorial Chamber:
  - infrastructure for screens or projections in the waiting areas on the east and west sides of the Memorial Chamber;
  - Braille on the handrails leading to the Memorial Chamber, to be incorporated without impacting heritage elements and with wording to be developed in collaboration by the House of Commons and the Senate; and
  - tactile mapping in support of wayfinding.
- virtually:
  - infrastructure to facilitate the live streaming of ceremonies with described video and American Sign Language (ASL) and langue des signes québécoise (LSQ).
- other opportunities for the parliamentary administrations to consider:
  - improved 360º photo tours of the Memorial Chamber; and
  - live streaming of ceremonies.

Improvements to the Peace Tower observation deck (option 1), including
- the addition of hand-held or mounted periscopes around the perimeter of the observation deck;
- the potential for staff to be stationed on the observation deck to offer explanations of the views and information;
- an accessible washroom one floor below the observation deck; and
- the addition of seating for rest.

INDIGENOUS ENGAGEMENT ON THE LTVP – INDIGENOUS COUNCIL OF ELDERS

Magda Hovjacky, Director General, PSPC, presented a proposal for a broad approach to Indigenous engagement on the LTVP and in projects on the precinct, which included establishing a council of Elders, as recommended by the Senate, and answered questions with Rob Wright, Assistant Deputy Minister, Science and Parliamentary Infrastructure Branch, PSPC.

The Working Group did not support the proposed approach.

At 1:42 p.m. the meeting was adjourned.

Greg MacCormack
Clerk of the Working Group

The Working Group on the LTVP and the Centre Block Rehabilitation Meeting 9 - Friday, December 1st, 2023 (44th Parliament)