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Ottawa

Covering Parliament Hill during construction: Worth the cost?

Parliament Hill's Centre Block will be under construction beginning in 2018, and tourism officials in Ottawa want the scaffolding covered by an artful tarp so visitors won't leave disappointed.

'Trompe-l'oeil' often used in Europe to cover construction at well-known landmarks

A woman walks as snow falls on Parliament Hill. The Centre Block is set to be covered by scaffolding, beginning in 2018, for about a decade. (Christopher Pike/Reuters)

Ottawa's tourism agency is calling for Centre Block's iconicfacade to be replicated on fabric during a forthcoming decade-long rehabilitation project.

But the cost is a concern for the federal government, even though Parliament Hill is a key tourism attraction.

The debate over whether taxpayer dollars should be allotted to such a"trompe-l'oeil"aired Thursday on CBC Radio'sOttawa Morning.

So what didaudience membersthink of the idea?

Most saw theaesthetic advantageof a 3D tarp, no matter how much it costs.

Others thought plain oldscaffolding was't so bad.

The early estimates for the tarp have it costinghundreds of thousands of dollars, while government officials say they're willing to pay up to just one per cent of the total cost of the false facade.

What do you think? Tweet your thoughts to @CBCOttawa or leave a comment below.