Ādisōke,
Ottawa’s super library
, won’t open in 2026, the city’s finance and corporate services committee heard on Tuesday.
The project is not in jeopardy, said Carina Duclos, director of infrastructure and water services, which is overseeing the project.
“Work on site continues with great focus and care and without losing sight of our common goal,” Duclos told city councillors. “We are committed to working with all partners to get this project across the finish line, and we are very much looking forward to the opening of this building, which is a landmark for all.”
The reasons for the delay remain unclear. After hearing an update from Duclos, city staff and councillors went into an in camera briefing “on related contractual matters that are subject to a reasonable prospect of litigation,” according to a motion introduced by Coun. Catherine Kitts.
The Ādisōke main branch at 555 Albert St. will replace the existing main branch at 120 Metcalfe St. The project is a collaboration between the Ottawa Public Library and Library and Archives Canada,
an unprecedented partnership
between federal and municipal institutions.
The curved building, designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects and KWC Architects, has an
undulating roof and panoramic windows
overlooking LeBreton Flats and the Ottawa River. The builder is PCL Construction. Updates have been provided to city council since construction began in late 2021.
Ādisōke was originally scheduled to open in January 2026. That was later revised to September 2026.
The cost has also increased. In October 2021, councillors
approved spending $64 million more
on the project, bringing to $344 million.
In June, city councillors heard that
construction industry “pressures” could delay
the scheduled opening of Ādisōke. The contractor had “signalled pressure on the construction schedule,” and those pressures were “inherently fluid,” infrastructure manager Tara Blasioli told the finance committee at the time.
The building’s design is “very complex and construction is complicated,” Blasioli said, “but we have seen tremendous progress and collaboration between the project team, partners and the contractor.”
On Tuesday, Duclos said the project had achieved many significant milestones since construction began, including completion of the foundation structure, wood roof and making the building watertight. There are solar panels on the roof and along the façade to generate energy, and the project recently achieved a final connection to the federal government district energy system, the first facility to do so using water to heat and cool the building, she said.
“Since our update in June, the contractor has continued to communicate delays, adding now that significant schedule recovery is unlikely at this stage of the project,” Duclos told the finance committee.
“The contractor is responsible for substantiating and providing the validity of their scheduled delays. It is very important for us to note that the city has not accepted these delays as reported, and the construction contract has not been amended to reflect a change on the construction completion date.”
After pressures were reported last spring, the project team took immediate additional steps, including bringing in a new, additional third party to offer a fresh perspective, she said.
“We added resources to our internal team, the architectural team and the contract administration team. We added a senior construction expert who attends critical meetings and visits sites to assess progress and flag issues. We added partnering sessions with the contractor, architects, schedule experts, construction experts and the clients.”
There’s a lot of work on the project that requires focus and care and nothing should be rushed, Duclos said.
“Everyone involved is united in their commitments to delivering this project responsibly, and to that end, the public opening will not be in 2026,” she said.
Kitchissippi Coun. Jeff Leiper said he had asked the reasons for the delay a few months ago, but staff didn’t tell him. He asked Duclos if the factors outlined earlier had ultimately led to the delay.
“I appreciate that we’ve been working very closely with the contractor and the partner since June, and so during this time period between now and then is when we’ve been able to do a deeper dive into those reasons,” Duclos replied.
However, the reasons couldn’t be disclosed in a public session, she said.
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