Memorial Colonnade in Ottawa, Ontario, connecting two heritage buildings, has stood as a monument honouring Canadians who served their country during the Second World War since its completion in 1958. The buildings themselves have sat empty since 2008 and are in need of upgrades and retrofitting, much like Memorial Colonnade itself.

For EllisDon and our Cintec partners, this was an incredible opportunity to employ Cintec’s new anchor technology. Twenty Cintec anchors have been retrofitted in the columns in a seismic reinforcement project that aims to keep the monument standing for another fifty years.

“The significance of this project is in the way we’ve used the anchors in the conservation of historical architecture,” said Andrew Syvertsen, Senior Project Manager, Engineering, EllisDon. “Memorial Colonnade is a treasured landmark of Canadian history. EllisDon and our partners are dedicated to preserving its legacy by fortifying its structure to withstand the tests of time and nature, with minimal impact on its historical integrity.”

The anchors have been installed in the full length of the columns and embedded in the bedrock below.

• Holes were cored and drilled into underlying bedrock and fitted with a 4-inch sock.
• The anchors were installed by crane by inserting the 65–75-foot anchors through the roof into the cored holes below.
• Considering the historical importance and significance of Memorial Colonnade, experts employed specialized drilling to maintain the stability of the structure during construction.
• The anchors were assembled on-site to minimize the potential of damage to any of the historical structure of the Colonnade.

"The risk of seismic activity in the Ottawa area is growing. Given the age and abundance of historic buildings in the region, there's a real risk of losing pieces of our heritage if we don't

reinforce them with current technology and construction techniques," explained Syversten. "This retrofit achieves just that—it safeguards the historical essence of the building while integrating cutting-edge construction methods."

The Memorial Colonnade joins the ranks of Parliament's Centre Block and the West Memorial Building in EllisDon's portfolio of heritage projects. It highlights our commitment to protect history, and ensure it stands strong with modern technology employed with care and expertise.