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Confederation Building

The Confederation Building is constructed on a height overlooking St. John's and was completed at a cost of approximately $9 million.

When first completed in 1960, the building housed all departments, boards and commissions of the provincial government. At completion, the building contained approximately 1,200 employees.

Upon completion the Confederation Building had 675 rooms, stretched 198 metres wide and had a height of 64 metres at the tip of its tower.

From the main floor, there rises through two floors a brightly lighted entrance lobby with dark Italian marble columns toned by medium oak panelling. On the mezzanine is a mural by one of Newfoundland's leading artists, Harold B. Goodridge. The mural is an allegorical representation of Newfoundland through the years both before and after Confederation. There are veterans of three Newfoundland services greeting a Mountie. There is an industrial setting including a paper mill, and for contrast, there is a setting showing children at play and Captain Bob Bartlett's schooner, the "Effie Morrissey", offshore. Other figures are a Beothuk Indian, a Viking, John Cabot and Sir Humphrey Gilbert. There are some striking facial resemblances in the group, those being former Canadian Prime Ministers, Mackenzie King and Louis St. Laurent and former Premier, Joseph R. Smallwood.

The new House of Assembly was completed in 1991. The chamber has a vaulted ceiling containing the Newfoundland and Labrador Coat of Arms in stained glass. The chamber is ringed by portraits of former Speakers of the Assembly.

The West Block extension which began in the fall of 1982, has six stories and a ground level, with a gross floor area of 34,838 meters and houses just under 2,000 provincial government employees.

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 8700
St. John's
A1B 4J6