Originally built in 1912 as the Grand Trunk Central Station and later named Union Station, the building was converted to the Government Conference Centre in 1967, and classified as a Federal Heritage Building in 1988. Renamed the Senate of Canada Building in December 2018, it is now the interim home of the Senate while Parliament Hill’s Centre Block receives its first major renovation since the building’s wholesale destruction by fire in 1916.
Historical rehabilitation work on the Senate of Canada Building included stabilizing and repairing vaulted plaster ceilings and walls; repairing iron façades, wood doors and windows; replacing selective stonework, and refurbishing light fixtures. New additions to the building included seismic upgrades, two new mechanical rooms, a new loading dock, and an interior fit-up with new office spaces and meeting rooms.
During the restoration, the historical façade of the building was kept intact to showcase its original glory. Complementary new functional components to the building are modern with a historical, Canadian theme including building the Senate Chamber.
The Senate of Canada Building is now complete. Tours of the newly renovated building are available through the Parliament of Canada website.