Canada's Houses of Parliament
The Parliament Buildings were constructed between 1865 and
1927. They were built on Barracks Hill, overlooking the Ottawa River,
since renamed Parliament Hill. The original structure, in the Gothic
Revival style, was designed by Thomas Fuller and Chilion Jones. The
choice of Gothic was a synbol of Canada's continuing strong links to
Great Britain, in imitation of the style of the newly rebuilt Palace of
Westminster in London. By the time the centre block was designed,
architects were mixing Gothic elements in innovative fashion. The tower
reflected German influences, the roofs are of French design, and the
Library remains distinctly English in character.
The complex was already under construction at the time of
Confederation in 1867. The new Dominion Parliament held its first
session there on 6 November 1867.
In 1916 a fire destroyed all of the Centre Block with the
exception of the Library of Parliament. The Library was preserved by a
quick-thinking librarian who was able to close the massive doors in
time to protect its irreplaceable treasures. The Centre Block was
rebuilt immediately and completed in 1920. The Peace Tower,
commemorating the end of the First World War, was completed in 1927.
The new Centre Block, designed by John Pearson and Omar Marchand,
integrated elements of Beaux Arts into its primarily Gothic Revival
style.
The most prominent part of the complex is the Peace Tower. It
is decorated with approximately 370 stone carvings, including
gargoyles, grotesques and friezes.
Photos of the Houses of Parliament. Click on a thumbnail
to see the full sized photo.
Parliament in early Spring
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Lobby of the Centre Block
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Lobby of the Centre Block
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House of Commons
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Senate Chamber
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Senate Chamber Ceiling
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The Peace Tower
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Stained glass window in the Peace Tower
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Architectural details
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Architectural details
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Architectural details
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Architectural details
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Library of Parliament
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View of the Peace Tower over the East Block
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Reflection on the Bank of Canada building
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The Government of Canada
Canada is a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary
democracy. The Legislature is bicameral, consisting of the House of
Commons and the Senate.
Queen Elizabeth II is Queen of Canada and head of state. When
the Queen is not in residence, her duties devolve on the Governor
General.
The legal framework of the country consists of written text
and unwritten traditions and conventions. It is governed by Canada's
constitution. The Constitution includes the Canadian Charter of Rights
and Freedoms. This Charter guarantees basic rights and freedoms to
Canadians. These rights and freedoms cannot generally be overridden by
legislation of any level of government in Canada. However, it contains
a 'notwithstanding clause' which allows the federal parliament and
provincial legislatures the power to override temporarily some other
sections of the Charter, for a period of five years.
Canada's head of government is the Prime Minister (PM). The
PM is the leader of the political party that obtains the confidence of
a majority in the House of Commons. The PM and his/her cabinet are
formally appointed by the Gevernor General (the Queen's representative
in Canada.)
The federal parliament is made up of the Queen and the two
houses: an elected House of Commons and an appointed Senate. Members of
the House of Commons (MPs) are elected by simple plurality in a
'riding' or constituency. General Elections are called by the Governor
General when advised by the PM. Elections must occur every five years
or less. Members of the Senate, who can serve until age 75, are chosen
by the PM and formally appointed by the Governor General. Senate seats
are apportioned on a regional basis.
Please visit the other pages in our Ottawa section.
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This page was updated on 26 November 2007.
This site was updated using Nvu and Style Master.
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