ICAO's first permanent accommodation (1949)

From July 1946, the Provisional International Civil Aviation Organization (PICAO) started negotiations with the host Government and the Canadian National Railways to establish a permanent accommodation to replace its temporary quarters consisting of parts of two adjoining buildings on the Dominion Square; by 1949, the Secretariat staff numbered 390.

The new commodious office accommodation would become the International Aviation Building (in French: la Maison de l’aviation internationale, for a total calculated space of 90,000 square feet reserved for ICAO, to be constructed at the corner of Dorchester Boulevard (now Boulevard René-Lévesque) and University Street (in 1080 University Street). It had the additional attraction of adjoining the city’s central railway station. ICAO would occupy the six upper floors (of the ten floors, the 5th to the 10th inclusive) of the new US$ 4 million 10-storey building. The premises were ready for occupation by 15 July 1949. The official opening ceremony of the International Aviation Building was scheduled during the Fourth Session of the Assembly on 1 June 1950 in the afternoon.

The ninth floor contained the offices of the permanent national delegations to the Council. The Conference quarters were located on the 10th floor, with the Council chamber and committee rooms equipped with modern simultaneous interpretation equipment.

The new building included excellent facilities for meetings. The Council Chamber was capable of accommodating up to 175 people, thus enabling the Organization to cater to a large-scale divisional meeting. A second chamber accommodated 85; there were also 5 committee rooms accommodating from 30 to 60 people. It was planned to immediately equip the Council Chamber and a second chamber with simultaneous interpretation and recording devices.

The remaining five floors of the building were occupied by various organizations connected with aviation, the headquarters of IATA the International Air Transport Association, on the 2nd floor), several of the larger international airlines, a cafeteria, cocktail bar and a bank.

It is to be noted that no provision was made in the new building for a dedicated conference room in which to hold the Assembly Sessions. They were therefore held either in Montreal (at the Windsor Hotel, ICAO Headquarters, or Laurentien Hotel for the third Assembly or outside Canada at the invitation of one of the Members States.