View source for Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council

{{short description|Office building in Ottawa}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox building
| name             = Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council
| native_name      = 
| native_name_lang = 
| former_names     = Southwest Departmental Building,<br>Langevin Block
| alternate_names  = 
| status           = 
| image            = Langevin Block (2013)(cropped).jpg
| image_alt        = Langevin Block
| caption          = The building seen from Wellington Street in 2010
| location         = 
| address          = 80 [[Wellington Street (Ottawa)|Wellington Street]]
| location_town    = [[Ottawa]], [[Ontario]]
| location_country = {{flag|Canada}}
| coordinates      = 
| groundbreaking_date = 
| start_date       = 1883
| completion_date  = 1889
| opened_date      = 
| inauguration_date = 
| demolition_date  = 
| destruction_date = 
| architect        = [[Thomas Fuller (architect)|Thomas Fuller]]
| landlord         = [[National Capital Commission]]
| owner            = [[Monarchy of Canada|The King in Right of Canada]]
| cost             = 
| floor_area       = 
| top_floor        = 
| floor_count      = 
| awards           = 
| ren_awards       = 
| embedded         = {{Designation list
| embed = yes
| designation1 = Canada
| designation1_offname = Langevin Block National Historic Site of Canada <!-- per http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=14127 it's designation official name is still "Langevin Block National Historic Site of Canada" -->
| designation1_partof = [[Confederation Square|Confederation Square National Historic Site of Canada]]
}}
| references       = 
| map_type         = 
| map_alt          = 
| map_caption      = 
| altitude         = 
| building_type    = [[Office building]]
| architectural_style = [[Second Empire (architecture)|Second Empire]]
| structural_system = 
| ren_cost         = 
| client           = 
| current_tenants  = [[Office of the Prime Minister (Canada)|Office of the Prime Minister]]<br>[[Privy Council Office (Canada)|Privy Council Office]]
| renovation_date  = 
| height           = 
| antenna_spire    = 
| roof             = 
| other_dimensions = 
| main_contractor  = 
| designations     = Classified Federal Heritage Building
}}

The '''Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council'''  ({{langx|fr|Bureau du Premier ministre et du Conseil privé}}) building, formerly known as the '''Langevin Block''' (<!--{{IPA-en|???}}; -->{{langx|fr|Édifice Langevin}}, {{IPA|fr|lɑ̃ʒvɛ̃|IPA}}), is an [[office building]] facing [[Parliament Hill]] in [[Ottawa]], [[Ontario]], Canada.  As the home of the [[Privy Council Office (Canada)|Privy Council Office]] and [[Office of the Prime Minister (Canada)|Office of the Prime Minister]], it is the working [[headquarters]] of the [[executive branch]] of the [[Government of Canada|Canadian government]].

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]] and cabinet minister [[Hector-Louis Langevin]].<ref name=rename>{{cite news| url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/bellegarde-mps-urge-feds-to-change-name-of-langevin-block/article34047512/| title=Bellegarde, MPs urge feds to change name of Langevin Block| first=Kristy| last=Kirkup| agency=[[The Canadian Press]]| newspaper=[[The Globe and Mail]]| location=[[Toronto]]| date=February 16, 2017| access-date=December 12, 2021}}</ref> Recognizing Langevin's role in establishing the [[Canadian Indian residential school system|residential school system]], associated with the abuse of Indigenous children and attempts to forcibly assimilate them, Prime Minister [[Justin Trudeau]] announced the renaming of the building on June 21, 2017.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/pm-renames-langevin-block-out-of-respect-for-indigenous-peoples-1.3469526| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170624003501/http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/father-of-confederation-s-name-stripped-from-prime-minister-s-office-building-1.3469526| url-status=dead| archive-date=June 24, 2017| title=Father of Confederation's name stripped from Prime Minister's Office building| first=Kristy| last=Kirkup| date=21 June 2017| agency=The Canadian Press| website=[[CTV News]]}}</ref>

The building is a [[National Historic Sites of Canada|National Historic Site of Canada]].<ref name="chrp">{{CRHP|14127|Langevin Block National Historic Site of Canada|August 18, 2011}}</ref>

== Description ==
[[File:East Block and Langevin Block.jpg|thumb|left|The [[East Block]] and the PMO Office building as seen from the grounds of [[Parliament Hill]]]]

It is built of [[sandstone]] obtained from a New Brunswick quarry owned by [[Charles Elijah Fish]]. It occupies a prominent place on Ottawa's [[Wellington Street (Ottawa)|Wellington Street]], adjacent to the [[National War Memorial (Canada)|National War Memorial]], [[Chateau Laurier]], [[Government Conference Centre]], [[Rideau Canal]], [[National Arts Centre]], [[High Commission of the United Kingdom in Ottawa]], and the [[Sparks Street Mall]]. 

The structure is distinctive in Ottawa for its [[Second Empire Style]] 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 (architect)|Thomas Fuller]], who also designed the original Parliament Buildings. In 2000, it was named by the [[Royal Architectural Institute of Canada]] as one of the top 500 buildings produced in Canada during the last millennium.<ref name="RAIC">{{cite news |url=http://www.ty-a.ca/Citizen/top500.htm |title=Cultural consequence |last=Cook |first=Marcia |date=May 11, 2000 |newspaper=[[Ottawa Citizen]] |access-date=October 11, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100530090211/http://www.ty-a.ca/Citizen/top500.htm |archive-date=May 30, 2010 }}</ref> The building is connected by a bridge to an office building at 13 Metcalfe Street.

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. The Prime Minister of Canada has two office rooms.

==History==
Started in 1883 and completed in 1889, the building was the first federal government office building constructed outside the Parliament Hill precinct. Originally named the Southwest Departmental Building during construction, its name from completion until 2017 came from [[Hector-Louis Langevin|Sir Hector-Louis Langevin]], the Public Works Minister in the [[Cabinet of Canada |Cabinet]] of [[John A. Macdonald|Sir John A. Macdonald]].

The building was first used by the departments of Agriculture, Interior, Indian Affairs and the Post Office. It was used by the Department of Indian Affairs until 1965. The building was renovated between 1975 and 1977 and has been used since by the Prime Minister’s Office and the Privy Council.<ref name="chrp"/>

In 1977, it was designated a National Historic Site. This was to recognize Fuller's work, its example as a Department of Public Works architecture, and its Second Empire style.<ref name="chrp"/>

In 2017, the [[Assembly of First Nations]] called for the building to be renamed, largely based on Langevin's  role in the creation of Canada's controversial [[Indian residential schools]] system.<ref name=rename/> On June 21, 2017, the building was renamed the Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council.<ref>{{cite news |last=Munson |first=James |date=June 21, 2017 |title=Langevin Block is no more |url=https://www.ipolitics.ca/2017/06/21/langevin-block-is-no-more/ |work=[[iPolitics]] |location= |publisher= |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180915172453/https://www.ipolitics.ca/2017/06/21/langevin-block-is-no-more/ |archive-date=September 15, 2018 |access-date=September 13, 2025}} {{subscription required}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of designated heritage properties in Ottawa]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==Additional reading==
* {{cite book| title=Exploring Ottawa: an architectural guide to the nation's capital| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nv9UAAAAMAAJ&q=Langevin| first1=Harold| last1=Kalman| first2=John| last2=Roaf| location=Toronto| publisher=University of Toronto Press| page=8| year=1983| isbn=978-0-8020-6395-3}}
* {{cite book| title=Ottawa: a guide to heritage structures| publisher=City of Ottawa, Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee| year=2001| isbn=978-0-9686-5071-4}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130522200854/http://www.pco-bcp.gc.ca/index.asp?lang=eng&page=dyk-svq&doc=archive%2Flangevin%2Fdyk-svq-eng.htm The Langevin Block from Yesterday to Today] 
* [https://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/dfhd/page_nhs_eng.aspx?id=461 Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council] Canada's Historic Places

{{coord|45|25|25.23|N|75|41|49.42|W|type:landmark_region:CA-ON|display=title}}

{{Parliament Hill}}
{{NHSC}}

[[Category:Office of the Prime Minister (Canada)]]
[[Category:King's Privy Council for Canada]]
[[Category:Federal government buildings in Ottawa]]
[[Category:Second Empire architecture in Canada]]
[[Category:Sandstone buildings in Canada]]
[[Category:Thomas Fuller buildings]]
[[Category:National Historic Sites in Ontario]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures on the National Historic Sites of Canada register]]
[[Category:Designated heritage properties in Ottawa]]
[[Category:Classified Federal Heritage Building]]
[[Category:1889 establishments in Ontario]]
[[Category:Government buildings completed in 1889]]