National Press Building (Ottawa)

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The National Press Building
The National Press Building

The National Press Building in Ottawa, Canada is a building on Wellington Street, just across from the West Block of the Parliament Buildings that houses the parliamentary press corps. Originally the press had their offices inside the Centre Block of the Parliament buildings. By the mid-1960s these areas had become overcrowded, and the large number of journalists based in desks lined against the walls of hallways were deemed a fire hazard. Thus the press were moved to their new home across the street. The building, originally named the Norlite Building, had been constructed in 1917-1919 and originally held several government agencies.

Offices in the building are provided to journalists at cost by the federal government, with some other facilities remaining in the Centre Block. The building is home to a wide array of news agencies, both national and foreign, and all forms of media. The building is often described as "dingy" and the offices are very small, and many larger organizations thus choose to base their reporters elsewhere. In 2004, the CBC moved its parliamentary bureau from the building to the new CBC Ottawa Broadcast Centre. The National Press Club is situated on the second floor.