Renovations coming to the Salon bleu at Quebec's national assembly
Quebec's national assembly hall, known as the Salon bleu, will be extensively renovated with seating reconfigured into a "horseshoe" shape.
The plans were announced Thursday by the Bureau de l'Assemblée nationale (BAN), comprised of elected representatives from the Coalition Avenir Québec government, the Quebec Liberal Party and Québec solidaire. The Parti québécois does not have enough members to sit on the BAN.
The current seating arrangement in the Salon bleu is inherited from the British parliamentary tradition. It places the government and the "loyal opposition" face to face.
In 2020, the government House leader, Simon Jolin-Barrette, said he would like to see a "new layout to improve the working climate."
The assembly's former president, François Paradis, suggested taking advantage of the renovation work to rearrange the chairs in the hemicycle, like in France, but the idea was quickly dismissed by his successor Nathalie Roy.
"Let's get down to business: the Salon bleu is rectangular; a hemicycle is round," she said in a March interview with The Canadian Press.
"I think that if we want to keep all our seats, the majority of seats, they'll remain facing each other, and then we'll maybe round off the corners, but there won't be any catastrophic change," she added.
And so, the chosen layout is that of the "horseshoe," the BAN announced in a Thursday press release.
"The new seating arrangement will allow for the retention of heritage desks, integrate the heritage clerks' table designed in 1886 by Eugène-Étienne Taché, free up space for the addition of four more seats to the current 125, while ensuring universal access," it reads.
Renovation work on the Salon Bleu, described as a "priority," will begin in the fall of 2024. The allocated budget and duration of the work were not shared.
The work will involve "the renovation of architectural and heritage elements, updating the hall's technological and technical components (ventilation, lighting, cabling, etc.) and adding new furniture elements featuring fine materials."
While the work is underway, desks, chairs and the president's chair will be moved to the Salon rouge where debates will be held, including question period.
Some desks will be replaced, but '"The aim of the project is to ensure respect for the unique heritage of the hall, to allow it to evolve harmoniously, while meeting the current needs of parliamentarians."
Some members' desks are 135 years old.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 9, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
WATCH LIVE Toronto police to release updated list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
Toronto police and law enforcement partners will be releasing the BOLO program’s updated list of the top 25 most wanted fugitives in Canada at a news conference on Tuesday morning.
Prince William and wife Kate thank public for birthday messages for son Louis
Prince William and his wife Kate thanked the public for their messages which had been sent to mark the sixth birthday of their youngest son Louis on Tuesday.
She was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father. Then life dealt her a blow
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Fire engulfs old Edmonton municipal airport hangar
A historical hangar at the former Edmonton municipal airport beside the NAIT main campus was on fire Monday night.
RCMP uncovers plot to sell drones and equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a ploy to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.