Concrete 'skeleton' of Ottawa's future main library now complete
Library on LeBreton Flats, known as Ādisōke, scheduled to open in 2026
It's taken three years of work and 17,000 cubic metres of concrete, but Frank Santostefano is seeing an idea become reality on LeBreton Flats.
"I've been here since day one, when it was just a parking lot, so it's fun to see all the hard work and the planning, the design, coming to fruition," he said.
"You can really start to appreciate the unique shape of the building."
Wednesday was a momentous day for Santostefano and his fellow workers at PCL Construction. The final suspended concrete slabs are now poured for the Ādisōke project, which will house Ottawa Public Library's main branch and the Library and Archives Canada.
Santostefano and PCL crews were removing temporary posts as members of council, First Nations leaders and various dignitaries descended on the site in two OC Transpo buses to sign a piece of structural steel in celebration of the milestone.
Crews will soon begin work on the branching steel columns that will hold up the roof. They will also start closing in the building's envelope and facade.
Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said Ādisōke will be a "state-of-the-art, world-class facility" and one of the city's most meaningful assets.
"So far it's looked a little bit like the shell, the skeleton of the building," he added. "But we will soon see construction begin on the iconic curved roof of our new library."
The timeline for Ādisōke has been pushed back once before, but Sutcliffe said the project is still set to finish in 2026.
In 2021, the budget grew from $192 million to $334 million. Sutcliffe said he's heard nothing to indicate it will grow further.
"As far as I know, that's the last update I had: that everything's progressing smoothly," he said.
'Starting to see ourselves'
Santostefano said workers on the site feel a special sense of responsibility to get every detail of the design right, given what Ādisōke represents.
"This building is very significant, especially to the Indigenous people of this area," said Santostefano.
"Ādisōke" means "storytelling" in the Anishinābemowin Algonquin language. The name and the design grew out of collaboration with nearby First Nations Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg, as well as Algonquins of Pikwakanagan, whose chief came to the site to mark the milestone on Wednesday.
Chief Greg Sarazin said it means a lot to see Indigenous input taking physical shape on the site.
"This is a part of Algonquin territory — the heart of Algonquin territory — and it's time that we played a significant part not only in the daily life of the City of Ottawa, but also in the future," he said.
"Having an input into Ādisōke, into the design and the development every step of the way, is a significant improvement of showing that Algonquin people are here and we will be here on a continuing basis."
Frankie Cote, a band councillor from Kitigan Zibi, called the Ādisōke project a small but important step toward reconciliation.
"I've lived in this city since the mid-90s and I've never seen myself in the city," he said. "Now we're starting to see ourselves."
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