Project Update: “Significant Enhancements to Achieve Net-Zero Carbon Being Made to the Joint Ottawa Public Library (OPL)–Library and Archives Canada (LAC) Facility”

From the Government of Canada:

Significant enhancements to achieve net-zero carbon are being made to the joint Ottawa Public Library (OPL)–Library and Archives Canada (LAC) facility, which will soon take shape in downtown Ottawa

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Prior to these changes, the building’s design already complied with the LEED Gold standard, an independent certification that takes into account ecological land and water use, energy efficiency, and sustainable materials. Funding from the federal government will allow for:

• upgrades to the building’s envelope and insulation;
• triple-glazed windows;
• solar panels on the rooftop and embedded in the facade;
• additional sustainable materials; and
• an indoor green wall.

This funding is in line with the Government of Canada effort to ensure that major infrastructure projects like this one contribute to a clean, safe and sustainable environment for present and future generations.

Scheduled to open in late 2024, with an official opening in 2025, the OPL–LAC joint facility promises to be a cultural showplace for the country’s heritage, a meeting place for local residents and visitors alike, and a prime example of the Government’s commitment to building sustainable infrastructure.

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Quick facts

• Construction of the Ottawa Public Library–Library and Archives Canada joint facility in the LeBreton Flats district on the western edge of downtown Ottawa is set to begin in 2021, with its completion scheduled for late 2024.
• In its 2020 Fall Economic Statement, the Government of Canada committed an additional $34.5 million to this project, most notably for significant sustainability enhancements to the facility.
• These investments in a net-zero carbon facility will result in a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas intensity. This represents the equivalent of approximately 170 fewer metric tons of CO₂ produced per year, or taking 37 passenger vehicles off the road.
• The new joint facility will be the result of unprecedented partnerships and community engagement, and it will bring together Ottawa residents, Canadians and visitors from around the world to learn, discover and create.
• Located by the Confederation Line’s Pimisi Station in the heart of the capital, the new facility is a key part of Ottawa’s vision to be the most liveable mid-sized city in North America.
• During extensive consultations in 2019 and 2020 with a wide range of stakeholders and citizens, respondents overwhelmingly expressed their support for a green and sustainable building.
• This is the second major sustainable infrastructure project for LAC. In 2022, it will open a new net-zero carbon preservation facility, which is currently under construction next to LAC’s existing Preservation Centre in Gatineau, Quebec.

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See Also: Design Revealed for Ottawa Public Library – Library and Archives Canada Joint Facility (January 23, 2020)