Canada is rebuilding the foundation under its Parliament without taking the building down. The Centre Block rehabilitation, budgeted at C$4.5 to C$5 billion, is the largest and most complex heritage job ever attempted in the country, and by 15 June 2026 it had drawn about C$1.79 billion. Public Services and Procurement Canada owns it. CENTRUS, a joint venture led by WSP and HOK with Architecture49 as associate architect, is prime consultant; PCL and EllisDon run construction management. PCL/EllisDon was the only bidder.
Project Scope
John Pearson and Omer Marchand rebuilt Centre Block after the 1916 fire, and roughly 50 rooms inside carry special heritage designation. The Peace Tower got an entirely new foundation, a new base slab tied into the building’s main level, then a frame of Canadian steel erected around it to support exterior work. Digging basements under a standing heritage building meant drilling structural support posts and casting temporary concrete shear walls to transfer the load before excavation started, and about 3,300 truckloads have come out so far. As of the second quarter of 2026 the structural rebuild was 37 percent complete, masonry 26 percent, roof removal 35 percent and the three-level Parliament Welcome Centre structure 40 percent. Geo-exchange wells for the Welcome Centre are finished. The 22 carillon bells and the keyboard went to the Netherlands and came back ahead of their summer 2026 target. Fourteen frescoes from the Leader of the Opposition’s office, Pearson-era woodwork, marble and stained glass are all being restored offsite. Main construction is targeted for 2030 to 2031, with reopening about a year later.
Why It Matters
The project’s own quarterly health ratings tell you where the pressure is: scope rated 1, cost 5, schedule 7. Schedule is the fight, and it will get more visible before it gets better, because scaffolding on the south facade, the elevation in every photograph ever taken of Parliament Hill, is due to be fully erected by the end of 2026. Everything after that happens behind a screen.
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Project Team & Details
| Owner / Client | Public Services and Procurement Canada |
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| Architect | CENTRUS (WSP / HOK joint venture) |
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| Consultants | WSP (Engineering)
HOK (Architecture)
Architecture49 (Associate Architect)
ERA Architects (Heritage) |
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| General Contractor | PCL Construction / EllisDon Joint Venture |
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| Status | Under Construction |
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| Delivery Method | CMAR |
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| Funding Source | Public (Federal) |
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