Construction continues at Parliament Hill's Centre Block in Ottawa, on Nov. 26.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press
A senior project manager for Parliament Hill’s Centre Block renovation, estimated to cost up to $5-billion, came under fire Tuesday over the amount of American steel being used in the construction.
As trade tensions continue with the United States, Conservative MP Michael Cooper was pushing for clarification on the steel purchases.
Jennifer Garrett, who was providing an update to MPs, said 65 per cent of the steel purchased to date is Canadian and that going forward the intention is for the rest of the steel to be sourced from Canada.
The cost for the upgrade to the block is set to reach between $4.5-billion and $5-billion by the time it’s done in 2031, after 13 years of work.
“I am pleased to report that efforts are under way to increase Canadian steel content,” Ms. Garrett, the assistant deputy minister for the parliamentary precinct, told MPs at the procedure and house affairs committee hearing.
Documents tabled in the House of Commons earlier this year suggested the issue of using Canadian steel was a point of concern for Public Services and Procurement Canada, which is managing the project.
‘Buy Canadian’ includes steel for Parliament Hill renos, documents show
The federal department told contractors they were only to use Canadian-sourced steel amidst a trade dispute with the United States, and that the department would pick up the tab if Canadian-sourced cost more.
In March, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump announced a tariff of 25 per cent on steel, and Canada responded with tariffs of its own.
More than 4.2 million kilograms of steel has been purchased for the project by three different Canadian subcontractors, records show.
Ms. Garrett conceded that 35 per cent of the steel for the uniquely Canadian project has come from the United States, Europe and Asia.
“We are in the process of purchasing steel for the vast majority of the job, which is why we believe we’re going to be very much close to upwards of 100 per cent steel, Canadian steel, for this particular job by the time we are done,” Ms. Garrett said, responding to questions.
She noted that 100 per cent of the steel used to reinforce the Peace Tower is from Canada.
U.S. and Canada discussed tariff-rate quota for steel before trade talks halted
Given ongoing U.S. tariffs, Ms. Garrett said she expected to pay premiums on steel, saying the project managers are tracking a $6-million premium for the project.
Centre Block is the Gothic Revival-style complex at the heart of Parliament Hill. Its features include the Peace Tower. The building opened in 1920 had fallen into a state of decline, prompting a renovation project to modernize it while maintaining its historic features.
The interior of the building has been cleared out to allow for work to reinforce its foundation, improve workspaces for politicians and staff and create a modern and accessible complex with a new underground welcome centre for visitors.
While the work is underway, a number of Centre Block functions have been shifted to the nearby West Block. Operations of the Senate are in Ottawa’s nearby former downtown train station, east of Parliament Hill.
Ms. Garrett said the department is holding the line on the project budget despite significant inflationary challenges that were not anticipated.
At this point, she said $1.4-billion of the project budget has been spent.
She also said the project is on time, with construction completed by 2031, followed by a year of work to prepare the building for the return of MPs, staff, and the public.