Confederation Building (Newfoundland and Labrador)

The Confederation Building is located on Confederation Hill overlooking Newfoundland and Labrador's capital city St. John's, and it serves as the home of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly. The brick-and-concrete clad building has 11 storeys and is 64 metres tall. It was completed in 1960 at a cost of $9 million to replace the Colonial Building. A lantern is located at the top of the copper roof of the central tower and acts as a beacon when turned on at night.

In 1982, construction began on the West Block extension, a modern 7-storey structure, which is a six-storey building, with a gross floor area of 34,838 m². The original building is now considered the East Block of the Confederation Building.^[1] A third building on the legislature campus is the Service Building Annex a two-storey building housing a day care centre and garage for some provincial government vehicles.

Complex

The complex consists of two buildings that house most departments of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. It also contains the provincial legislature, and offices for elected members.

East Block

The original and tallest of the two buildings.

It is home to these Government Departments, Agencies, and Offices:

• Office of the Premier
• Executive Council of Newfoundland and Labrador
• Department of Finance
• Department of Justice and Public Safety
• House of Assembly
• Office of the Official Opposition
• Office of the Third Party
• Government Members Office
• Protocol Office
• Cabinet Secretariat
• Communications and Consultation Branch
• Hansard Office
• House of Assembly Broadcast Centre

West Block

Opened in 1985, this building is to the west of the East Block and contains most other government departments, and various offices and agencies:

• Department of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour
• Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
• Department of Environment and Climate Change
• Department of Health and Community Services
• Department of Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development
• Department of Municipal Affairs
• Department of Children, Seniors and Social Development
• Department of Transportation and Works
• Service NL
• Office of Public Engagement
• Center for Learning and Development
• Policy Innovation and Accountability Office
• Women's Policy Office
• Disability Policy Office

Off site

Remaining Provincial Government Departments are located in other offices in St. John's:^[2]

• 95 Elizabeth Avenue - Department of Children, Seniors and Social Development
• Petten Building, Strawberry Marsh Road - Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agrifoods
• Natural Resources Building, 50 Elizabeth Avenue - Department of Natural Resources
• Howley Building, Higgins Line - Department of Natural Resources, Department of Environment and Conservation
• 40 Higgins Line - Office of the Chief Information Officer
• Sir Brian Dunfield Building, Mundy Pond Rd - Public Service Commission
• Argyle Building, Portugal Cove Rd - Research and Development Corporation
• 25 Hallett Crescent - Fire and Emergency Services
• 34 Pippy Place - Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner

Statues and landmarks at the Legislature

A number of statues and landmarks are located near the building:

• Gaspar Corte-Real - located southeast of the building.
• John Cabot - located at the foot of the steps at the East Block.
• Sir Wilfred Grenfell
• Coat of Arms of Newfoundland and Labrador located in front of the East Block.
• The Royal Union Flag and the Flags of Newfoundland and Labrador and Canada fly in front of the building.

See also

• Memorial University of Newfoundland

References

Coordinates: 47°35′00.27″N 52°43′25.71″W / 47.5834083°N 52.7238083°W / 47.5834083; -52.7238083