Project in phases

Phase one

Phase one of the project has already begun, with crews on site preparing and setting up the site for the major renos to come. The Ontario-based company Quninan Construction Ltd. won the tender for this phase, but they will be hiring several local subcontractors to help with the work.

During this phase, finishes from the inside walls and ceilings are being removed, including the wood trim around windows and in the legislative chambers, plaster mouldings on ceilings and any other significant finishes located within five feet from the exterior walls. This is a painstaking process that will take up to three months, as crews remove the finishes piece by piece, number and document them and place them into crates.

Crew members on site joked recently it will be akin to assembling a giant jigsaw puzzle when it comes time to put all these pieces back into place.

The mechanical and electrical systems as well as all exterior doors and windows are also being removed. Interior columns and bannisters have been covered and protected, as well as the storied stone floors.

The foundation under the north and south porticos as well as for the building itself will be removed.

A giant steel “exoskeleton” scaffold will be erected around the entire structure. This will work to keep the building in place for the next phase of work.

A permanent eight-foot white plywood fence will be built around the whole construction site, which will likely include some interpretive panels. Trees around the property are being protected from construction equipment by wood boards. Phase one is scheduled to finish in December 2017.

Phase two

The second phase of the work is the largest phase. The exterior walls will be dismantled and rebuilt.

First the exterior of the building will be cleaned to highlight any damaged stones.

Then, starting from the roof level, exterior stones will be removed one at a time and carefully catalogued.

The interior Island sandstone walls will also be removed at the same time. The current stone foundation will be replaced with concrete.

The exterior stones will be reset by masons working on site and the entire structure rebuilt from the ground up.

Any damaged stones will be replaced with sandstone from a quarry in Wallace, N.S., near the site of the original quarry used to construct Province House in 1843.

Roof repairs will be done and mechanical and electric systems will be replaced.

Design work is currently underway for phase two. Tenders are expected to be issued in November 2017 with an award and construction start in January 2018, to continue until 2019.

Phase Three

The interior of the building will be restored during this phase. This will include adding new fire safety code features, and making the building more universally accessible.

The province has also requested some enhancements to improve the operations of the legislative assembly.

These features will be at the province’s cost.

Other enhancements include improved access control for security at the south entrance, improved lighting and impact resistant film on the exterior windows.

Interior finishes will be replaced. A consultant is currently being sought for this phase of the project.

It is expected this final phase will be completed by the end of 2020.