Most public servants have been working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, and federal office buildings in Ottawa-Gatineau have sat almost empty. On Friday, Steven MacKinnon, the Parliamentary Secretary to the minister of Public Services, said he expected this trial to go well. It's a project that has the support of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, the largest federal public sector union — one that should be taken with caution, said regional executive vice-president Alex Silas. On Aug. 3, 225 employees with Public Services and Procurement Canada will be returning to the Place du Portage III office complex in Gatineau, Que., seen here from the other side of the Ottawa River. Any little piece of hope," said Véronique Rivest, who owns Soif, a wine bar a few blocks from the Portage office towers.

Source: CBC News July 30, 2021 08:00 UTC