losophy of the project: “We have worked
closely with heritage professionals to keep
and maintain as much heritage character
in the building as possible while bringing
structural and technological elements up
to today’s standards. The West Block is
such an iconic building, and the work done
here will facilitate the continued function-
ing of our democratic process today and
into the future.”
MASONRY
Meticulous rehabilitation of exterior ma-
sonry, sculptural elements, and decorative
ironwork called for the country’s leaders
in stone and masonry. As the largest ma-
sonry project in PSPC’s history, at its peak
over 200 historical masons were working
on site every day to painstakingly clean
and preserve or, when needed, replace
the original stone. To put this into context,
28 –chimneys and 2 spires were disman-
tled and rebuilt; 14 per cent of the 140,000
masonry stones that make up the West
Block had to be replaced, and 45 per cent
of the masonry had to be dismantled and
replaced.
But to see the most complex aspect of the
project would require X-ray vision. “What I
find fascinating is that we are able to seis-
mically reinforce the existing structure of
the building, but if you walk up to it you
wouldn’t know,” DiMillo says. “10,000
Photo Credit: Public Services and Procurement Canada
View of theWest Block’s East façade.
30 business elite canada
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DECEMBER 2017
