The devolution of the Federal Department of Public Works.

PWGSC was responsible for 9,500 buildings in the year 1981; by 2004 the portfolio dwindled to 350 properties. Laws that contributed to that massive loss of Crown assets:
The National Capital Act (1985) pertaining to the National Capital Commission.
Surplus Crown Assets Act (1985)
1.)  PWGSC was "the country's largest realtor" in 1980:

The Harry Hays Building in Calgary, Alberta was privatized in 2007.

2.)  House of Commons Debates, Ottawa       February 5, 1981.
Pierre Raymond Savard (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works (Liberal)
     "DPW suggested that Treasury Board should appoint it the only real property agency for the federal government. In April 1967, Treasury Board approved that suggestion...The Department of Public Works is responsible for some 9,500 buildings and over 8 million square metres of space leased at an estimated annual cost of $650 million in 1979-80. This system must also provide for real property management as well as the management of professional services provided by DPW, such as planning and management of assets, architectural and engineering services, and purchase and disposal of real property."

3.)  PWGSC Minister Erik Nielsen told writer Stevie Cameron that the government of Canada (ordinary people) owned real estate worth $60 to $80 billion dollars during the late 1970's. The interview can be found in the book "On the Take."

4.)  House of Commons Debates, Ottawa       October 7, 1991
William James Kempling (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of State-Finance; Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board):
Mr. Kempling:
     "The federal government is the largest real property holder in Canada. We control a large, diverse and complex portfolio of real estate. Excluding the territories, we manage some 28 million squares metres of building space and about 23 million hectares of land. "

Early 1983 real estate holdings for all departments in the National Capital Region.

Information compiled in 1985 by Erik Nielsen, a former Deputy Prime Minister of Canada and Minister of Public Works.
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1992 Canada Post buildings in Montreal.

1992 federal real estate in Toronto, Ontario.

2004 - DPW planned to sell its entire portfolio of Crown properties, 350 buildings. However, the Parliament Buildings, Library of Parliament and Supreme Court were not on agenda.

2007 - Nine buildings were privatized and another 35 were on the list of "surplus" government properties.