Canada, Ottawa, Parliament Hill Tour - Parliament History

Few symbols are as evocative of Canada as the Parliament Buildings. Flanked by the East and West blocks, the Centre Block of Parliament — with its distinctive Peace Tower and Library — is familiar to Canadians and people around the world. Although the buildings are alive with the drama of modern day debates, the echoes of times and personalities long since past still linger in the chambers and halls.

Canada’s First Parliament Buildings

In 1841, Lower Canada (now Quebec) and Upper Canada (now Ontario) joined to form the Province of Canada. Its seat of government alternated for many years. In 1857, Queen Victoria was asked to select a permanent capital.

Surprisingly, the Queen chose the rough-and-tumble lumber town of Ottawa over the established cities of Toronto, Kingston, Montreal and Québec. Not only was Ottawa a political compromise but it also lay a more secure distance from the American border.

The Centre, East and West blocks of the Parliament Buildings were built between 1859 and 1866 (excluding the Peace Tower and Library). One year after their completion, Confederation was ushered in and the buildings were immediately chosen as the seat of government for the new Dominion of Canada.

Fire!

Canada had not celebrated its first half century when tragedy struck. On February 3, 1916, near 9 p.m., a small fire started in the Parliamentary Reading Room in the Centre Block. Fed by stacks of newspapers and varnished woodwork, it was soon a raging blaze that claimed seven lives and reduced all but the north-west wing and the Library to a charred shell. Had an employee not closed the Library’s iron doors in time, thousands of irreplaceable books would also have been lost.

Starting Anew

So strong was Canada’s commitment to maintaining a permanent home for Parliament that it began rebuilding the Centre Block while still embroiled in the First World War. The new structure, which preserved the Gothic Revival style of the original, was designed by John Pearson and Jean Omer Marchand and completed by 1922.

Today’s Parliament Buildings

The Parliament Buildings present a fascinating blend of stateliness and vibrancy. Their vaulted ceilings, marble floors and dramatic lighting create an atmosphere of solemnity, yet the walls are jubilantly alive with detail and decoration. Saucy gargoyles make faces at passers-by, birds and animals come to life in sculpture, and events from our history are played out in stone friezes.

The House of Commons

In the House of Commons Chamber, at the west end of the Centre Block, representatives gather to make laws affecting all Canadians. Decorated in the traditional green of the British House of Commons, the rectangular chamber is constructed of Canadian white oak and Tyndall limestone from Manitoba. Visible on the stone’s freckled surface are 450-million-year-old fossils.

The Chamber’s ceiling is made of delicately hued Irish linen, hand-painted after installation. In contrast, vibrant stained glass windows depicting the floral emblems of Canada’s 10 provinces and two territories add bold colour to the dignified room. Below the windows, a series of sculptures explain the components of Canada’s Constitution using imaginative symbols.

The Senate

In the Senate Chamber, at the east end of the Centre Block, Senators review bills passed in the House of Commons and introduce their own legislation. Red carpeting and upholstery and a ceiling of gold leaf create an air of regal splendour in the Senate. Two bronze chandeliers weighing approximately two tonnes each are suspended from the ceiling. The Chamber’s upper walls are lined with murals depicting stirring scenes from the First World War and, below them, a frieze showing Canada’s flora and fauna is carved in the panelling of Canadian white oak.

The Library of Parliament

Separating the Commons from the Senate are the Confederation Hall and the Hall of Honour with their graceful arched ceilings and rich sculpture. At the end of the Hall of Honour is the Library of Parliament. This show-piece of Gothic Revival architecture features an intricate parquet floor of cherry, oak and walnut. In its panelling of Canadian white pine are carved hundreds of flowers, masks and mythical creatures.

Dominating the circular, domed room is a white marble statue of the young Queen Victoria. The Library has a delicate, old-world flavour that belies its modern capabilities: its highly skilled employees use computer technology to provide information, documentation and research services to parliamentarians and staff.

The Peace Tower

Rising above the Parliament Buildings is the distinctive Peace Tower, built to commemorate the end of the First World War. On the third floor is the Memorial Chamber, a serene room of white marble and gentle light constructed in tribute to Canadians who died in the armed conflicts in which Canada has fought since Confederation

The 92.2-metre Peace Tower also contains an observation area and the Carillon, a series of 53 bells weighing from 4.5 kg to 10,160 kg. The Dominion Carillonneur entertains visitors to Parliament Hill with regular recitals.

Visitor Access

Completing the quadrangle on Parliament Hill are the East and West blocks, originally used to house government departments.

Visitors can tour special rooms in the East Block which have been recreated to look as they did in Sir John A. Macdonald’s time.

The West Block accommodates committee rooms and offices of Members of the House of Commons and is not open to the public. Surrounding Parliament Hill are the Confederation Building, Wellington Building, Langevin Building and Victoria Building, which house other parliamentary offices and facilities and cannot be toured.