Parks Canada celebrates 'huge milestone' in years-long Province House restoration project

A major component of the years-long restoration project at Province House in Charlottetown is officially complete: the last piece of new or repaired exterior stone has been placed on the building. 

The renovation project has been underway since 2015, and was originally set to be completed by 2018, but has faced numerous setbacks, including rot found inside walls, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a change in sub-contractors mid-project.

"It's a huge, huge milestone," said Nicolle Gallant, projects manager for Parks Canada P.E.I.

"We have been working on the exterior stone for probably four years right now, and to have that final stone placed on the exterior is just really exciting for us, and we are just really proud of all the workers that worked on it." 

More than 5,000 exterior stones required repair or replacement, Gallant said, and that work had to be done in situ, which means each stone was repaired on-site in downtown Charlottetown, as opposed to moved.

'Meticulous work'

"It's meticulous work," said Gallant. "You're considering load bearing, you're considering the stone next to it, the stone above it, the stone below it. Every stone has its own story, so it takes time for sure." 

She expects that sometime this year the protective cloth will be removed from the exterior of the building, and Islanders will finally get a chance to see the work that's been completed thus far. But she warns that some of the exterior stones will have a different look to them. 

"There will be what looks like a checkerboard of colour on the stones," said Gallant. 

"And so some people might be kind of put off by that, and not realize what's happening. But all of those new stones are newer. And of course, they're not going to be the same colour as what's in there now. But over time now, a process called oxidation will definitely blend it into the older stones, and it won't have such a checkered look."

Next, work will focus on installing original windows that have been preserved. 

And then, onto interior work that will include improving the heating, ventilation and electrical systems, flooring and elements visitors will see during a visit to Province House. 

Work will also be required to ensure its functionality to house the Legislative Assembly, which has been relocated to the Coles Building next door since 2014. That portion of the work — originally projected to cost $6 million — is now coming in at $4 million, funded by the P.E.I. government.

Work started in 2015

The project was originally set to be completed by 2018, at a cost of $20 million, but now Parks Canada is aiming for the end of 2023 with a total of $91.8 million in federal funds allocated thus far. 

MP Sean Casey said investing substantially in the project was "the right thing to do" and calls Province House "part of our identity, something Islanders are rightly proud of," but couldn't confirm whether additional funds will be allocated, if needed.

"That'd be a question to be dealt with when we get there," said Casey. "I can't commit the government to that, but what I can say to you is it would be hard to imagine that after coming this far that we're not going to build the last mile." 

Meanwhile, Gallant said she appreciates the work has taken longer than anticipated — but it was important to do the job well, not fast. 

"Parks Canada definitely cherishes this building and its cultural aspect that it brings to all Canadians," said Gallant. 

"So we really wanted to make sure that we did everything right, so it was good for another 175 years. So when [visitors] come in, they'll see, you know, it may not look a whole lot different, but it's ready for them to enjoy."