The Senate of Canada was founded in 1867 with its confederation, but it is currently held in an old train station in Ottawa built in 1912 opposite the senate’s original purpose-built building. Funnily enough, the former train station is older than the 1920 Parliament Centre Block, which has been undergoing renovation since 2019.
However, the move hasn’t been a downgrade for democracy. 2019 marked the first year that senate proceedings have been telecast live by CPAC and archived online. Many original elements of the senate chamber, such as the seats and doors, were also moved to provide symbolic continuity.
Its architecture has been praised by Heritage Canada and industry experts as an exemplary example of a heritage-sensitive retrofit. All the added committee rooms can be removed without damaging the original structure, HVAC outlets are placed in bench bases or lamp pedestals, and the frontage on Rideau Street looks almost the same as it did a century ago.
