No start date for Supreme Court of Canada renovation due to prolonged relocation delay – National

Preparations for a temporary new home for the Supreme Court of Canada are three years behind schedule due to a series of unforeseen challenges.

At the same time, officials say there are no firm dates for beginning — or completing — much-needed renovations to the stately, permanent Supreme Court building on Wellington Street in Ottawa.

Originally, a major renovation of the Supreme Court building was scheduled to take place between 2023 and 2028.

While the work took place, the nine justices and their staff moved to the West Memorial Building across the street.

The West Memorial, itself in dire need of renovation, will not be completed until 2026, three years later than expected.

More than $1 billion was set aside for the renovation of the two buildings just west of Parliament Hill.

In response to questions, the Department of Public Services and Procurement said that the renovation of the Supreme Court building, which has not been extensively renovated since its completion more than 80 years ago, is currently in the planning stages.

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“We are currently working on updating the construction cost estimate and developing detailed implementation plans. No start date for construction has been set yet,” the department said.

“As the construction period for the renovation of the Supreme Court of Canada building has not yet been determined, the date for the Supreme Court of Canada to move back in has not yet been determined.”

The West Memorial Building, part of Canada’s most important World War II memorial, was built in the 1950s. It has been vacant since 2008 due to its poor condition, including the presence of hazardous materials.

The seven-story building, constructed of limestone, granite and copper, is connected to the eastern Memorial Building by a raised colonnade.

The renovated West Memorial Building will feature a grand lobby with a large glass-and-steel skylight. A spiral staircase leads to the courtroom, where nine angular arches—representing the number of justices—let in natural light from above through glass openings.

As in the current Supreme Court building, there will also be rooms for the Federal Court hearings.

The building’s renovation began in 2020 but was not completed as expected last year due to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the complex demands of the project.

The building’s structure required a “significant redesign and remediation effort,” which involved significantly reinforcing structural beams to meet current building codes, the department said.

The team also had to remove additional hazardous materials and redesign mechanical and electrical components.

Efforts to speed up the process include simplifying redesigns where possible and extending working hours, including weekend shifts, the department said.

The expected new date for the Supreme Court to move into the West Memorial Building is summer 2026.

Supreme Court legal officer Stéphanie Bachand said there were no concerns about the safety of people working at the court.

The building is “stable and safe thanks to the continued collaboration” of the Public Services and Procurement Department, she said.

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