The Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council (french: Bureau du Premier ministre et du Conseil privé) building, formerly known as the Langevin Block (french: Édifice Langevin, ), is an
office building
An office is a space where an organization's employees perform administrative work in order to support and realize objects and goals of the organization. The word "office" may also denote a position within an organization with specific dut ...
facing
Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill (french: Colline du Parlement, colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Its Gothic revival suite of buildings, and their archit ...
in
Ottawa,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
, Canada. As the home of the
Privy Council Office and
Office of the Prime Minister, it is the working
headquarters of the
executive branch of the
Canadian government
The government of Canada (french: gouvernement du Canada) is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assuming distinct roles: the executive, as the ''Crown-in ...
.
The term Langevin Block was previously used as a
metonym for the Prime Minister's Office and the Privy Council Office. The building was named after
Father of Confederation
The Fathers of Confederation are the 36 people who attended at least one of the Charlottetown Conference of 1864 (23 attendees), the Quebec Conference of 1864 (33 attendees), and the London Conference of 1866 (16 attendees), preceding Canadian ...
and cabinet minister
Hector-Louis Langevin
Sir Hector-Louis Langevin, (August 25, 1826 – June 11, 1906) was a Canadian lawyer, politician, and one of the Fathers of Confederation.
Early life and education
Langevin was born in Quebec City in 1826. He studied law and was called to t ...
.
Following objections by
Indigenous
Indigenous may refer to:
*Indigenous peoples
*Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention
*Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band
*Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...
people of the use of Hector Langevin's name, due to allegations regarding Langevin's role in establishing the
residential school system
In Canada, the Indian residential school system was a network of boarding schools for Indigenous peoples. The network was funded by the Canadian government's Department of Indian Affairs and administered by Christian churches. The school sys ...
associated with the abuse of Indigenous children and attempts to forcibly assimilate them,
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
Justin Trudeau
Justin Pierre James Trudeau ( , ; born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who is the 23rd and current prime minister of Canada. He has served as the prime minister of Canada since 2015 and as the leader of the Liberal Party since 2 ...
announced the renaming of the building on June 21, 2017.
The building is a
National Historic Site of Canada
National Historic Sites of Canada (french: Lieux historiques nationaux du Canada) are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment on the advice of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC), as being ...
.
Overview
![East Block and Langevin Block](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/East_Block_and_Langevin_Block.jpg)
While the offices of senior Privy Council Office officials remain in the building, its use is now largely limited to the Prime Minister's Office, in addition to his or her office in the Centre Block of the Parliament Buildings.
Started in 1884 and completed in 1889, the building was the first federal government office building constructed outside the Parliament Hill precinct. It is built of
sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...
obtained from a New Brunswick quarry owned by
Charles Elijah Fish. It occupies a prominent place on Ottawa's
Wellington Street, adjacent to the
National War Memorial,
Chateau Laurier,
Government Conference Centre
The Senate of Canada Building (french: édifice du Sénat du Canada) is located at 2 Rideau Street in downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and serves as the temporary seat of the Senate of Canada. The building served as Ottawa's central railway stati ...
,
Rideau Canal,
National Arts Centre
The National Arts Centre (NAC) (french: Centre national des Arts) is a performing arts organisation in Ottawa, Ontario, along the Rideau Canal. It is based in the eponymous National Arts Centre building.
History
The NAC was one of a number of ...
,
High Commission of the United Kingdom in Ottawa
The British High Commission in Ottawa, Ontario, is the main diplomatic mission of the United Kingdom in Canada. It is located at 80 Elgin Street in downtown Ottawa, across the street from the National Arts Centre and not far from Parliament Hill. ...
, and the
Sparks Street Mall. Originally named the Southwest Departmental Building during construction, its name from completion until 2017 came from
Sir Hector-Louis Langevin, the Public Works Minister in the
Cabinet of
Sir John A. Macdonald.
The structure is distinctive in Ottawa for its
Second Empire Style
Second Empire style, also known as the Napoleon III style, is a highly eclectic style of architecture and decorative arts, which uses elements of many different historical styles, and also made innovative use of modern materials, such as i ...
design because most government buildings from the period were built in the
Gothic Revival style. It was designed by the Chief Dominion Architect
Thomas Fuller
Thomas Fuller (baptised 19 June 1608 – 16 August 1661) was an English churchman and historian. He is now remembered for his writings, particularly his ''Worthies of England'', published in 1662, after his death. He was a prolific author, and ...
, who also designed the original Parliament Buildings. In 2000, it was named by the
Royal Architectural Institute of Canada
The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) is a not-for-profit, national organization that has represented architects and architecture for over 100 years, in existence since 1907. The RAIC is the leading voice for excellence in the built ...
as one of the top 500 buildings produced in Canada during the last millennium.
The building is connected by a bridge to an office building at 13 Metcalfe Street.
In 2017, the
Assembly of First Nations
The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is an assembly of Canadian First Nations (Indian bands) represented by their chiefs. Established in 1982 and modelled on the United Nations General Assembly, it emerged from the National Indian Brotherhood, ...
called for the building to be renamed, largely based on allegations of Hector Langevin's supposed role in the creation of Canada's controversial
Indian residential schools
In Canada, the Indian residential school system was a network of boarding schools for Indigenous peoples. The network was funded by the Canadian government's Department of Indian Affairs and administered by Christian churches. The school sys ...
system.
[ On June 21, 2017 the building was renamed the Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council.
]
See also
* List of designated heritage properties in Ottawa
This is a list of properties which have been designated by the City of Ottawa under Part IV of the ''Ontario Heritage Act'' as having cultural heritage value or interest. At many properties, a bronze plaque gives a bilingual description of the pro ...
References
Additional Reading
*
*
External links
The Langevin Block from Yesterday to Today
Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council
Canada's Historic Places
{{NHSC
1889 establishments in Ontario
Federal government buildings in Ottawa
Second Empire architecture in Canada
National Historic Sites in Ontario
Buildings and structures on the National Historic Sites of Canada register
Government buildings completed in 1889
Sandstone buildings in Canada
Thomas Fuller buildings
Designated heritage properties in Ottawa
Classified Federal Heritage Building