The provincial news release says the program, which is being delivered over 10 years, will also help manage congestion, connect people to jobs and decrease greenhouse gas emis- sions by reducing car trips and improv- ing travel times. Del Duca said in third announce- ment that the western service exten- sion will include a new layover facility in Niagara Falls, more passenger trains and 30 km. of new tracks. There will also be a new Confederation GO sta- tion in east-end Hamilton in 2021. Ottawa: NCC approves renovation design for Government Conference Centre The National Capital Commission (NCC) has approved the “new look” for the Government Conference Centre which will temporarily house the Sen- ate once renovations are complete in two years. The renovation and Senate move have a $269 million budget. The Sen- ate will move to the building in 2018, as Parliament Hill’s Center Block com- mences a decade-long renovation. PCL Constructors Canada Ltd. has the construction management con- tract for the project, designed by ERA Architects. “You’ll finally be able to appreciate the building in all its glory,” Thierry Montpetit, project manager with Pub- lic Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), said in an interview reported by CBC. “We’re going to remove, what I’m going to say (were) unfortunate alter- ations to the building that were done in the late seventies.” Montpetit told CBC the goal is to fix accessibility problems and meet the current building code, while bringing the building’s heritage features to the fore. These include the great waiting room, designed as a smaller scaled replica of New York City’s Pennsylva- nia Station demolished in the 1960s. There are also functional improve- ments including new freight and pas- senger elevators, a loading dock, and rooftop areas for mechanical systems. The major project’s major impact is on the building’s eastern side facing the Rideau River, Montpetit said. The current blank wall is that way because in the earliest days there was a hotel adjacent to what had been Ottawa’s main train station in the former Corry Block. With the renovations, a lot of thought was given to how that east façade could turn the building into a gateway to Parliament, to join “the town and the Crown,” Montpetit said in the interview. “I think that will be our biggest gift, to really give prominence to that inter- section,” he said. “And, giving some stature back to that building, which was very prominent historically and has been a bit forgotten and lost since the 1960s and ‘70s.” QUEBEC Tall wood building momentum reaches Québec The NEB consortium (consisting of Nordic Structures, EBC Construction and Synchro Immobilier) have broken ground in Québec City on the Origine project, a 13-storey building of which 12-storeys are mass timber and one is concrete. A news release says it will be the tallest wood building condo in North America. When completed, the 92-unit con- dominium complex will join the ranks of the world’s tallest wood buildings and serve as a Canadian example of the research and technology that is in- volved in taking wood construction to new heights. “Advances in science and building technology, supported by renowned research organizations such as FPIn- novations and the National Research Council, are resulting in innovative wood solutions, such as the Origine project, that are safe, sound, and sus- tainable,” Etienne Lalonde, vice presi- dent Market Development for the Canadian Wood Council (CWC) said in a news release. “Tall wood buildings are no longer a new concept, with examples of 10 and 14-storey structures recently being constructed in Australia and Norway respectively. Ultimately, it is about cre- ating more options for builders and ar- chitects in Canada and having the science and research in place to sup- port the tall wood option.” The Origine project was selected as part of an Expression of Interest (EOI) that was launched by the CWC in April 2013, for Canadian developers, institu- tions, organizations and design teams willing to undertake an innovative ap- proach to designing and building high- rise demonstration projects. With funding support from Natural Re- sources Canada of $1.175 million, the goal of this initiative was to link new scientific advances and research with technical expertise to showcase the application, practicality and sustain- ability of innovative wood based struc- tural building solutions. “By supporting innovation and the use of new techniques in the construc- tion of wood based high-rise buildings, we are supporting the growth of a strong and competitive forestry indus- try,” said Jim Carr, Canada’s minister of natural resources. “These investments in research and development lead to cleaner, more sustainable construction practices, all while promoting the cre- ation of employment opportunities in the forestry sector. Innovative, entre- preneurial ideas like these are integral to our fight against climate change.” The Canadian Design and Construction Report — July - August 2016 – 21