Ontario Legislature Eyes Full Shutdown For Major Renovations; Likely To Cost Over $1b

At 130 years old, Ontario’s legislature is showing its age.

There are lead pipes and asbestos running through the walls, mountains of old cables and wires stacked on top of new ones, an inefficient steam heating system with parts that frequently fail and fire safety systems in need of upgrading.

The “hazardous and severely deficient” infrastructure has members and officials of the legislature eyeing a full decommissioning of the building for large-scale renovations and moving the business of governing elsewhere for about eight years.

That’s similar to the project underway in Parliament’s Centre Block in Ottawa, and members of an Ontario legislative committee are heading to the capital today to hear any lessons learned or best practices from officials there.

Legislative Affairs Minister Paul Calandra says a report is underway to determine exactly what work is needed, but it is clear it will not come cheap, saying it certainly won’t cost less than a billion dollars.

Calandra is involved in scouting a new location for the assembly and hopes that when the next provincial parliament convenes after the 2026 election, it will be in a different _relatively close spot.

The legislature has been getting by with repairs so far, but a report from more than 10 years ago concluded that a “full replacement of all major systems” is needed, including better fire protection, as well as electrical, IT, plumbing, and heating and cooling systems.

The standing committee on procedure and house affairs is set to hear today from the deputy clerk of administration, chief information officer and director of real property services for the House of Commons.