Parliament
Hill, officially known in French as Colline
du Parlement, is a scenic location on
the banks of the Ottawa River in downtown
Ottawa, Canada. Its Gothic revival suite
of buildings serves as the home of the
Parliament of Canada. The best known building
is the Centre Block, with its prominent
Peace Tower, a national symbol. The richly
decorated interior of the centre block
contains allegorical scenes. Parliament
Hill has been the site of many major events,
which draw thousands to the lawn in front
of the Parliament BuildingsThe entire
parliamentary precinct measures 112,360
square metres. It is bounded on the north
by the Ottawa River, on the east by the
Rideau Canal, on the south by Wellington
Street, and on the west by a service road
near the Supreme Court.
The
current Parliament Buildings were built
between 1865 and 1927. The West Block
was built in 1865 and the East Block in
two stages in 1867 and 1910. The Library
of Parliament was opened in 1876, and
the original Centre Block completed in
1878. The Legislature of the Province
of Canada met for the first time in the
new building on 8 June 1866, and the new
Parliament of the Dominion of Canada began
its first session there on November 6,
1867. The Centre Block burned in 1916;
the edifice was entirely destroyed except
for the Library of Parliament, whose treasures
were preserved by a quick-thinking librarian
who was able to close its massive doors.
The Centre Block was immediately rebuilt,
being completed in 1920, with the Peace
Tower, commemorating the end of the First
World War, being completed in 1927. The
centerpiece of the building is the Hall
of Honour, the only place where Canadians
can lie in state in a federal capacity.
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