Visit Centre Block at the House of Commons before it closes for a decade

Joanne Zalera

House renovations are often disruptive, but when it’s the House of Commons, it’s a whole other story.

William Amos, Member of Parliament for Pontiac, took to Facebook in March to highlight the looming closure of Centre Block, where the Senate and House of Commons are located. A major repair and restoration undertaking is scheduled to begin this fall and is currently estimated to take at least 10 years to complete.

“If you have not had the chance to explore our Parliament buildings,” Amos writes, “I encourage you to come visit!”

As the peak tourist season is about to hit the National Capital, it may indeed be time to take advantage of the free guided tours of Centre Block while it’s still possible.

For Johanne Bouchard, an Aylmer resident whose British-born husband got his Canadian citizenship just last September, knowing the renovations will render Centre Block inaccessible for at least a decade is a motivation to make the time to go.

“I will be going with my teenagers who are currently 14 and 16, and with my newly Canadian husband,” says Bouchard. “It will be the last opportunity they have to see where Canadian politics have been happening before all three of them get to vote for their first time and I hope they will remember the importance of the site when they cast their first ballots.”

When Centre Block closes this fall, the Senate and House of Commons will continue to operate from the Government Conference Centre and West Block buildings. Tours of the new locations will become available. As with previous years, tours of East Block will continue during the months of July to early September.