party in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly continues to sit on the left side of the speaker of the house. Historic events It was the site where responsible government was given Newfoundland in 1855. It was at this building that Newfoundland entered in the Commission of Government in 1934 and the location of the Newfoundland National Convention from 1946–1948 then in 1949 when Newfoundland entered into Confederation with Canada. It was also the site of a number of political riots and disturbances. One of those was the public protest on April 5, 1932, for maladministration and corruption in government when all the windows were broken, doors smashed and furniture destroyed, which cost $10,000 to repair. The prime minister, Sir Richard Squires, barely escaped the building at that time. The building was also the site of Newfoundland's first bank robbery, in 1850. Located in the basement of the Colonial Building was the Newfoundland Savings Bank and it was robbed of £413. On July 28, 1959, the provincial legislature had its last working session in the building before relocating to the newly completed Confederation Building on Prince Philip Drive. Restoration From 2010 to 2015 restoration work in the interior of building will be undertaken to stabilize and restore the ceilings of the two chambers. The front facade and interior lobby area will be restored to the period during the 1850s. This means that the building will be closed to visitors until the renovations are complete. Current tenants The Department of Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development currently has its Provincial Historic Sites of Newfoundland and Labrador offices located in the Colonial Building. Since late-2005, there are also three other non-profit organizations operating from the Colonial Building, including the Museum Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (MANL), the Association of Newfoundland and Labrador Archives (ANLA), and The Newfoundland Historical Society. References External links History of the Colonial Building by the Provincial Archives of Newfoundland and Labrador Picture of the Colonial Building Buildings and structures in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador Legislative buildings in Canada Neoclassical architecture in Canada Houses completed in 1850 General Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage sites in Newfoundland and Labrador