Robert Dekker, vice-president of the Centretown Citizens Community Association, says he supports the proposed security changes to the Parliament Hill precinct.
Two years after the Hill’s last major security breach, when 20 protesters scaled the Parliament Buildings and hung banners without impediment from security officers, the Conservative government is planning to spend almost $9 million to enhance security at the entrance gates and better manage vehicle access to the Hill.
The changes will include the installation of barriers in the form of retractable bollards, or short, sturdy posts, Sebastien Bois, a spokesman for Public Works and Government Services Canada, said in an email.
Bollards will be installed at four of the existing vehicle entrances: South Drive, Bank Street gate, Queen Street gate and Elgin Street gate, he said.
Surveillance cameras will also be installed.
Vehicle access through the East and West gates on Wellington Street will be replaced by extensions of the heritage fence line, he said.
The Hill has five gates that allow access to authorized vehicles and 12 other gates open only to pedestrians, says Julie Morel, a spokeswoman for the RCMP.
There is also vehicle access at the entrance on South Drive and at the vehicle screening facility, where non-routine vehicles are inspected prior to gaining entry, she says.
When the security upgrade is done, vehicle access will be cut down from seven gates to two gates, the Elgin Street gate and the screening facility.
Also, the changes will result in four new pedestrian access points, Bois said.
Plans indicate pedestrian access will remain unaffected by the new measures.
Robert Dekker, vice-president of the Centretown Citizens Community Association, says he supports the spending and recognizes the importance of protecting Parliament.
He says he sees other positive potential too.
“I think it would be a good thing if they think more about how to handle pedestrian access during the planning too,” Dekker says.
Canada Day’s post-celebration scramble is something that will likely be improved upon, he says.
“As they add security measures I hope they think about traffic flow and getting people off the Hill faster and more safely,” he says.
The federal Department of Public Works and its security partners “have identified the Perimeter Security Project as a key priority to create a safe and accessible environment on Parliament Hill.”
The project is a component of a long-term vision plan that focuses on restoring the Hill’s existing heritage buildings and to build more.
Security is a key component of the plan as well.
The RCMP didn't directly identify why the barriers are necessary.
However, security concerns on Parliament Hill have been growing over the years.
Heritage Ottawa president Leslie Maitland says she is confident that Public Works and Government Services Canada will work continuously to make sure this sort of “contemporary security upgrade is not a severe or unacceptable change.”
The proposal specifies the bollards should suit the traditional heritage characteristic of the Pafliament Buildings and should not hinder the welcoming mood of the national historic site.
Dessau Inc. was named the design consultant for the project in late December and got more than $1.5 million to engineer the bollard technology.
Construction will begin after the management contract – still in its tendering phase – is awarded.
The deadline to submit bids is Feb. 8.
Construction is expected to be complete by March 2013.