Hill of the Parliament

The Hill of the Parliament (English: Parliament Hill ) is the place where is located the Parlement of Canada, with Ottawa.

Historical background

Closely related to the history of the city, the hill accommodates its first European occupants in the neighborhoods of 1826, three years after the purchase of grounds by George Ramsay, then governor of the Low-Canada. The lieutenant-colonel John By undertakes to install a camping there in order to supervise the construction of the Canal Curtain.

Under the direction of the governor, it makes build a hospital like several military barracks (in English: barracks ) in order to place its men on the hill then completely timbered, which became known under the name of Barracks Hill . It also indicates two sites having to contain the future colonists, one in the west of the hill, the high-city and the other in the east of the entry of the future channel, the low-city. In 1828, the village then cash nearly 1.000 inhabitants takes the name of his founder, Bytown .

In 1855, the city is famous Ottawa and reaches, in 1857 with the statute of capital of the Province of Canada. The construction of the parliamentary buildings begins as of 1859 on the hill, which then becomes the Colline of the Parliament .

Buildings of the Parliament of origin (1859 to 1916)

Following the nomination of Ottawa as a capital of the Province of Canada, the legislative Parliament grants 75.000 books for the construction of a parliamentary building. The architects Thomas Hall and Chilion Jones, who gain the contest of the best project, obtain 1.000 dollars for their nomination. In spite of criticisms, which qualify the project of too expensive, the plans of the Fuller architects and Jones are retained.

Building of the center

Construction

By style neogothic, the new building is inspired moreover by architectural elements German for the construction of the Victoria tower, French for the design of the roofs and English for the library.

The choice of one building to neogothic architecture, rather than a style inspired of the neoclassicism then in vogue with the the United States, is a symbol of the bonds which always link Canada with the Great Britain, where the Palais of Westminster has just been rebuilt in this style.

The construction of the parliamentary buildings begins in 1859 and will be spread out over nearly twenty years, that is to say until in 1878. The members of Parliament settled there nevertheless as of 1867, year marking the creation of the Canadian Confédération.

The fire of 1916

The February 3rd 1916 towards 20:50, a fire is declared in the room of reading of the central building. A deputy, located in the room of reading of the House of Commons, notices the presence of flames. Of this one will be saved only the north-western wing and the Library thanks to an employee, “Connie” MacCormac, which had the presence of mind to close the iron doors connecting it to the building of the center.

Throughout the fire, the clock of the Victoria Tower strikes the hours. At midnight, the bell sounds eleven times, then is crushed on the ground, while the flames gain the Senate. The following day, the central building in ruins, was covered with a thick layer of ice due to the vain efforts of the firemen.

After the fire, the House of Commons and the Senate move with the commemorative Museum Victoria (today the Canadian Musée of nature), where they will sit until in 1920. Sir Wilfrid Bay-tree, then Prime Minister, dies before the end of rebuilding works and was exposed inside the museum.

The tragedy will save the buildings of the east and of the west, which are always places from there nowadays.

Buildings of the current Parliament (1916 with today)

The buildings of the current Parliament are four and are distributed on a ground extending on approximately 88,84 km ², composing the Hill of the Parliament.

The building of the center

The rebuilding

Rebuilding works begin a few months only after the tragedy, the July 24th 1916, under the direction of the architects John A. Pearson and Jean-Omer Marchand. Those are elected by the government to formulate recommendations concerning the rebuilding of the new buildings. One asked so that they be in conformity with the style neogothic of the old buildings while integrating more space to accommodate the deputies.

The angular stone of the original building was found among the debris and posed by the prince Arthur William Patrick, duke of Connaught on September 1st 1916, is 56 years after being posed by his brother Edouard VII.

A complete stage was added to the building of the center; the interior walls are built out of limestone and the floors are made of marble, with an aim of avoiding the risks of a new fire. Work is all the more difficult as Canada is in war, labor is rare and the materials are very expensive.

The February 26th 1920, is approximately four years after the fire, takes place the first session of the legislative body in the new building. The House of Commons is west coast of the central building, while the Senate is in the west.

The Tower of Peace

The angular stone of the Tower of Peace was posed on September 1st 1919 by the prince of Wales. The tower will be inaugurated nearly eight years later under the name of Tour of Peace and the Victoire , at the time of the festivities of the Dominion on July 1st 1927. Construction was finished in 1928, whereas work of sculpture of the blocks of sandstone spread out over another decade.

Larger than the old Victoria tower, it makes nearly 92,2 meters height. It comprises a chime of 53 bells, of which most imposing weighs more than 10 tons. This unit, one of the eleven with the country, is heaviest and probably most known of Canada. The current bell ringer of the Dominion is Gordon Slater; compositions are played on average 200 days per year.

The Vault of the memory

At the base of the Tower of Peace the Vault of the Memory, dedicated to Canadian killed at the time of conflicts is located. Its floor consists of stones collected on the various European battle fields. In its center a furnace bridge is laid out of limestone Hoptonwood, gift of the Great Britain in Canada, which carries the first of the Books of the Memory containing the list of Canadian killed at the time of the First World War.

Black marble given by the Belgium was used for to work the plinths of the walls and the steps of the furnace bridge. The columns supporting the vault are made of marble of Holy Anne coming from the same country. The France made gift of stone of Castle-Strapping man, whose the walls and the vault are made.

The Hall of the Confederation

The main entrance of the building of the Center leads to the Hall of the Confederation, also called the rotunda, which allows an access towards the west to the House of Commons, the east with the Senate and, while passing through the Hall of honor in north, with the Library of the Parliament.

The architectural design of the Hall of Condéfération is single, in what it is the central axis of which all converges inside the building. Of style neogothic, the Hall comprises an enormous central column supporting an impressive limestone vault of Tyndall. This space was the last section of the Parliament to be built. The work, begun the August 11th 1921, was completed in December following with the completion of the vault. A model of the hall was prepared as of January 1918, as from which a model out of wooden and plaster was set up, copy of what was going to become current Hall of the Confederation.

The Hall of honor

The Hall of Honor connects the Hall of the Confederation to the Library of the Parliament and also gives access to the principal meeting rooms. It is at this place that are held the official ceremonies and of national scale.

In the beginning, the Hall was to comprise a multitude of statuettes representing Canadian being dissociated. Its vocation was modified and comprises currently low reliefs and commemorative plaques referring to the original building of the Parliament, with the fire which destroys it, with the Confederation and the First World War.

The House of Commons

The House of Commons, the room most roomy of the parliamentary buildings occupied by the most important Canadian democratic institution, is located in the western wing of the building of the center. The architects envisaged space to accommodate 320 deputies on the floor like 580 people in the platforms. Three rooms are connected there, that is to say the principal anteroom, the anteroom of the government and that of the opposition.

The ceiling of the House of Commons is made of flax, raising the heraldic symbols of the Armoiries of Canada, the provinces and the territories. The Cornice, covered with gold sheets, is made arcs Polylobé S. Three series of architectural sculpture decorate the walls of the Room: the series Act of British North America (of 1978 with 1985, on the walls is and western), Évolution of the life (of 1989 with 1994, arcades north and south) and Presidents and clerks (1979, on the two sides of the armchair of the President of the Room).

Work of joinery was carried out by the Montreal board George Roberts and was installed in 1920. The woodcarvings are the work of Elzéar Soucy. The green, which is the traditional color of the Room since 1867, is dominating: it was in particular selected for the woven wool fitted carpet and furniture.

The Room of the Senate

The room of the Senate accommodates the queen or her representing, general gouverneure when it sanctions a bill and 105 senators named by general gouverneure on recommendation of the Prime Minister. It is the seat of the Upper House of the Parliament of Canada, the Senate.

The Library of the Parliament

The library of the Parliament is the only section of the building having survived the fire of 1916 and the demolition which followed. Built between 1859 and 1876, it is located, inside the current building, at the northern end of the Hall of honor. Alpheus Todd was the first to occupy the post of librarian.

In 1952, a major fire was declared in the roof of the library. The building was saved but the collections were severely damaged by fire and water there being infiltrated.

A restoration followed and a modern library was built in the west of the Hill of the Parliament to store certain documents there. Of 2002 with 2005, important renovation works were undertaken there.

Today, the institution comprises nearly 600.000 works and employs approximately 300 employees.

The building of the west

Of 1873 with 1874, the building of the West is increased considerably. One adds a wing to him and the enormous Mackenzie turn. Alexander Mackenzie, then Prime Minister of Canada, was the instigator having brought the addition of this tower.

In 1897, a fire damaged the building slightly. In 1961, a project of demolition of the building is proposed, without however being retained. Renovation works are however undertaken, with an aim of maximizing space at office which misses considerably. The building of the west east currently in its more recent phase of restoration.

The building of the east

Initially built in 1874, the building of the east was increased considerably in 1910, date on which one added to it a wing vis-a-vis the Rideau channel. Before the construction of the building of the Bank of Canada, this one comprised six safe deposits, containing the National treasure. This wing was in restoration until the autumn 1997.

The building currently contains the offices of certain senators.

Monuments

Statue of Louis Riel
Statue of Sir Robert Laird Borden in the west of the building of the west, by Frances Loring (1957)
Statue of John George Diefenbaker in the north of the building of the west, by Leo Mol (1985)
Statue To ballast Bowles Pearson in north of the building of the west, by Danek Mozdzenski (1989)
Statue of the Victoria Queen in the north of the building of the west, by Louis-Philippe Hébert (1900)
Statue of Sir George-Etienne Cartier in the west of the central building by Louis-Philippe Hébert
Rule of Alexander Mackenzie in the west of the central building by Louis-Philippe Hébert (1901)
Statue of George Brown in the west of the central building by George William Hill (1913)
Statue of Thomas D' Arcy McGee in the north of the central building by George William Hill
Statue of Robert Baldwin and Sir Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine in the east of the central building by Walter Seymour Allward (1914)
Statue of Sir John A. Macdonald in the east of the central building by Louis-Philippe Hébert
Statue of the queen Elizabeth II in the east ofcentral building by Jack Harman (1977)
Statue of the Famous Five by Barbara Paterson, illustrating the movement militant of the Canadian Suffragette S Nellie McClung, Irene Parlby, Emily Murphy, Louise McKinney and Henrietta Muir Edwards
Statue of William Lyon Mackenzie King in the north of the building of the east by Raoul Hunter
Statue of Sir Wilfrid Bay-tree in the south of the building of the east by Brownish Joseph-Emile (1922)
Statue of Henry Albert Harper/Galahad located outside the principal door opposite the central building, by Ernest Wise Keyser (1905)
Monument with the Canadian police body, granite wall in the north of the central building (1995)
Bell of the tower Victoria (1875 - 1877), original bell of the building of the center of origin, located at the north of the central building; it was restored in 2000
Flamme of the centenary, commemorating the centenary of the Confederation in 1967

Significant events

Each July 1st, of Canadian gather on the Hill of the Parliament to celebrate the Fête of Canada. During the summer months, people come to admire the change of the guard on the lawn in front of the parliamentary buildings. A similar ceremony is performée with Rideau Hall, the residence of general gouverneure.

Each year the April 20th, a crowd is assembled on the Hill and smokes of the Marijuana in order to show their support with his legalization. An event of the same kind takes place each first week of May, world Walk for the marijuana (“Total March Marijuana”), in which takes part nearly 200 cities throughout the world.

The Hill of the Parliament was often the place of demonstrations Anti-war, in particular during the Guerre of Vietnam and more recently in opposition to the Guerre in Iraq.

Among the major events being unrolled on the parliamentary Hill, one finds:

the inauguration of new the Flag of Canada, the February 15th 1965
*L' inauguration of the Flame of the centenary the December 31st 1966
the signature by the queen Elizabeth II of the Canadian Charter of the rights and freedoms, the April 17th 1982

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