Canada’s highest court is nearing the end of a massive moving effort. Every piece of the operations of the Supreme Court of Canada is being shifted across the street from the building that has been its home for 80 years.
The building that housed the court has faced symptoms of physical decline similar to those that afflicted 24 Sussex Dr. – the official historic residence of the prime minister – and the Centre Block of Parliament Hill. Centre Block and 24 Sussex remain closed for renovations.
Now it’s the turn of the high court.
Its building, completed in 1941, began functioning as a court in 1946. Eight decades later, the court furnishings and records are being moved, piece by piece, to the West Memorial Building, on the other side of Wellington Street. The 1950s-era complex, which covers a city block and once housed Veterans’ Affairs, was vacated in 2008, and has been upgraded to temporarily accommodate the Supreme Court, along with one of Canada’s largest law libraries.
When the justices convene for the court’s fall session in October, they will do so in the West Memorial Building.
But it will be a massively changed version of that building. For the past six years, the government has been rehabilitating the building, making it more accessible, resistant to earthquakes, as well as preserving its heritage features. This week, the Public Services and Procurement Canada department said the cost of the upgrades totalled $671-million, excluding taxes.
As for the renovation of the original Supreme Court building, department spokesperson Michèle LaRose said the effort remains in the planning stage and a detailed timeline and costing are being developed.
“This is a significant undertaking, comparable to other major heritage rehabilitation projects managed by Public Services and Procurement Canada,” Ms. LaRose said in a statement. Previously, the renovation project had been budgeted at more than $1-billion.
In a statement, Chief Justice Richard Wagner acknowledged the court’s move is bittersweet.
“While we will miss our historic building, we recognize that the rehabilitation is necessary to preserve this important piece of Canadian heritage and symbol of our justice system for future generations.” The building will be used for the Supreme Court’s functions once again once the upgrades are completed.
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