PSPC further scales back construction projects, but work on Centre Block continues – The Hill Times

Public Services and Procurement Canada has further scaled back ongoing construction work on a range of federal projects since Ontario announced its moratorium on construction in the province, but renovations to the historic Centre Block building continue to crawl ahead.

Based on our own assessments, we had started to demobilize some sites ahead of the announcements made by the Government of Ontario [on April 3], explained Michle LaRose, media relations for Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), in an email to The Hill Times.

Following this announcement, we demobilized additional sites to align with the governments revised directives. In all, 85 projects [in the parliamentary precinct] have been demobilized [to date].

On April 3, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced that, as of April 4, all industrial construction in the province would be halted for the next two weeks, except for projects deemed essential services, like those related to health care facilities and critical infrastructure (like transit), among others.

As reported by The Hill Times in late March, PSPCwhich acts as custodian of Parliaments buildings and is responsible for federal infrastructure and work spaces generallybegan adjusting its operations after federal work-from-home orders were issued in mid-March.

At that time, the department said it was limiting work in occupied buildings to emergency work only. But it signalled that exterior work and renovations in unoccupied buildings, like Centre Block, would continue, albeit with modifications, including: staggering breaks; additional cleaning of equipment and shared facilities; reducing and limiting the size of construction teams on site to avoid workers being in close proximity; new face covering protocols; and making handwashing facilities and hand sanitizer available on work sites.

As a general construction requirement, all workers are required to wear personal protective equipment at all times to perform their work, which includes gloves. The nature of the work performed, as well as the large footprint of the construction sites, enables social distancing to be applied on site, explained Public Services and Procurement Minister Anita Anands (Oakville, Ont.) press secretary, Cecely Roy, last month.

Further changes have been made since Mr. Fords announcement, according to PSPC.

Although federal projects do not fall under provincial authority, Public Services and Procurement Canada is reducing its construction activity across the province in the spirit of inter-jurisdictional co-operation and to demonstrate leadership in our collective efforts to flatten the curve in alignment with the advice of Canadian public health offices, said the department.

The approximately 85 projects temporarily demobilized so far range in size and nature, falling into three general categories, according to PSPC.

First, theres interior fit-ups. Demobilized projects in this category include work to offices carved out for parliamentary administration at 50 OConnor St., where interim office space has been leased to accommodate people displaced by other precinct work. This list also includes retail and operational space fit-up in the Wellington Building, where work was ongoing to ready retail spaces (which are set to be leased out) along Sparks Street on the buildings ground floor.

Another category of impacted projects are interior improvements. Drywall repairs and patchwork renovations inside the East Block building, which remains occupied by some 40 Senators and staff, have been paused, as have ceiling and radiator repairs in the Confederation Building, among other things.

Finally, some projects dealing with exterior repairs have been paused, including window sealing work on the Justice Building, window replacement and repairs on the Confederation Building, and exterior renovations on the National Press Building at 150 Wellington St.

Work on the Centre Block and East Block will continue in unoccupied spaces, said the department, so, too, will necessary repair and maintenance work required for the safe operations of parliamentary facilities.

Health and safety remain the top considerations. Over the past month, PSPC has worked closely with industry leaders and associations to move the industry toward stringent health and safety protocols in the context of COVID-19, based on prevention, detection, and response, said Stfanie Hamel, another member of PSPCs media relations team, noting that the department was an active participant in the development of the Canadian Construction Associations standardized protocols for construction sites in Canada amid COVID-19, the latest version of which was released on April 16.

Aside from interior patchwork, ongoing work on the East Block buildingbumped out of of necessity ahead of the buildings full renovationincludes masonry restoration, roof replacement and repair, and restoration of iron work.

Work inside the Centre Block building is currently focused on demolition work and the abatement of hazardous substances, like asbestos, in particular on floors four through six. Outside the building, excavation work is underway to prepare for the construction of the final phase of Parliament Hills new underground Visitors Welcome Centre.

The final design plans, budget, and timeline for Centre Blocks overall renovation have yet to be finalized or announced. To date, more than $770-million in contracts related to the buildings renovation have been awarded, and overall, roughly $4.5-billion in spending has been approved for the precincts renovation.

lryckewaert@hilltimes.com

The Hill Times

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PSPC further scales back construction projects, but work on Centre Block continues - The Hill Times