The building shown
above is the home of Canada's Federal
Government. It is one of three buildings
located on this site, between Wellington Street
and the Ottawa River, known as Parliament
Hill. The separate East and West Blocks,
that contain the offices of parliamentarians,
are just out of view in the image above.
The appropriately named Centre Block contains
the debating chambers for the House of Commons
and the upper house, known in Canada as the
Senate.
The original Centre Block building was erected
in the 19th century but on February 3, 1916, a
devastating fire destroyed all but the northwest
wing and the library. The library is the
circular building seen in the image above.
On the day of the fire, an employee had the
presence of mind to close the door to the
library saving its collection of irreplaceable
books.
For the next four years the business of running
Canada moved to the nearby Victoria Memorial
Museum while work got underway on the site to
build a new Centre Block. In 1920
the parliamentarians moved back into their new
home.
The prominent feature of this modern Gothic
Revival building is the centrally located Peace
Tower named in commemoration of the country's
commitment to peace.
A memorial Chamber is located on the third floor
of the tower. The Parliament website says
that, "The Memorial Chamber is dedicated
to the memory of Canadians who have died in
military service. The Tower was constructed
by a nation grateful for peace while the
Memorial Chamber testifies that the struggle
for peace comes at the cost of human life.
The Memorial Chamber was designed out of a
response to the profound devastation wrought
by the First World War. This monumental
event created the need for a national
memorial – a place of reflection and solace
to remember the sacrifice of the many
Canadians that fell in Europe between 1914
and 1918. Since, this memorial has grown to
include the names of all Canadians who have
died in military service in past and present
conflicts." The Peace Tower is
also home to a 53 bell carillon.
The House of Commons Chamber
is located at the west end of the Centre
Block.
This rectangular room features
white oak and Tyndall limestone from Manitoba.
The Senate Chamber is located
at the eastern end of the Centre Block.
In contrast to the Commons' subdued green,
this room is resplendent in red and gold.
Above the chamber is the
magnificent
coffered ceiling decorated in gold leaf.
As the Parliament website explains the ceiling
is decorated with, " ... the French
fleur-de-lys, the English lion, the Irish
harp, the Welsh dragon and the Scottish
thistle, together with Canadian maple
leaves reflecting the nationalities of
Canada’s early European settlers. Two
massive bronze chandeliers, weighing
approximately two tonnes each, hang from
the ceiling."
- More interior views -
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