One of the interesting features of Ottawa is its architecture, and Ottawa has many heritage sites. Parliament Hill with its historic Gothic Revival buildings was an area I wanted to explore in more detail.
On Friday night, just after arriving in the city, I was able to take some photos, just before the sun went down. On Saturday morning I got up and left at 7:30 am and it was a cool morning with a perfect blue sky. It was definitely on the cold side, not a good idea to venture out without a hat or thick scarf. So it was going to be a bad hair day again, but who cares…
I started with the area immediately across from the Lord Elgin Hotel, which includes the National Center for the Arts, the Government Conference Center (the former Union Station, Ottawa’s main rail terminus), the War Memorial, and Chateau Laurier.
I then walked up Parliament Hill where you have an absolutely perfect view of Hull and the Gatineau Hills. I admired the “Women Are People” sculptures (referring to women being recognized as their own human beings), and took various photos and videos of the Parliament buildings.
Parliament Hill is the seat of the Government of Canada and consists of the Central Block, the West Block and the East Block. The Senate and the House of Commons are also located here. Free tours are usually available every day, except my own discovery was too early for the tour.
By the way, the Canadian Parliament buildings have an interesting history. Lower Canada (now Quebec) and Upper Canada (now Ontario) were united to form the Province of Canada in 1841. The seat of government alternated for many years until Queen Victoria was asked to select a permanent capital in 1857.
To the surprise of many, the Queen selected the rugged logging town of Ottawa over the established cities of Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, or Kingston. One reason was that Ottawa was close to both provinces and located a safe distance from the US border.
The Parliament Buildings were built between 1859 and 1866 (not including the Library and Tower). Within a year of their completion, Confederation occurred, and the buildings were immediately selected to house the government of the newly created Dominion of Canada.
The main building of the Government Buildings is called the Center Block and is instantly recognizable with its trademark Peace Tower. Visitors can view the House of Commons and Senate from the visitor’s galleries, and free tours are also available. A drive to the top of the Peace Tower rewards you with a great view of all of Ottawa. Canada’s war dead are honored inside the Memorial Chamber.
The only part of the original central block to survive the disastrous fire of 1916, the Library of Parliament building is currently undergoing restoration to restore it to its former splendor.
The historic East Block hasn’t changed much since the days of the Confederacy. The offices of the first Prime Minister of Canada, Sir John A. Macdonald, have been restored and are available to visit on a public tour.
The West Block is not accessible to the public as it houses the offices of members of parliament.
The Peace Tower is the trademark of Ottawa and its name is a commemoration of Canada’s commitment to peace. The Memorial Chamber is located on the third floor of the Tower and honors Canadians who have died in armed conflict since the Confederacy. The Peace Tower also has an observation area and the Carillon which contains 53 bells weighing from less than 5 kg to more than 10 tons.
The center block was affected by a large fire in 1916. Canada began rebuilding it while still fighting World War I. The new structure, designed in the modern Gothic Revival style by John Pearson and Jean Omer Marchand, was completed in 1922. The Peace Tower was later completed in 1927.
In summer, Parliament Hill offers a unique ceremony: every day at 10 am the Changing of the Guard takes place, and this year the ceremony will take place every day from June 24 to August 26, 2006.
Parliament Hill with its large open square lends itself naturally as a meeting and entertainment venue. Canada Day celebrations are held here and include free concerts, spectacular fireworks displays, a flying demonstration by the Snowbirds (Canada’s precision aerobatic team) and you’ll only have to put up with brief speeches from Canadian politicians.
Another upcoming event for 2006 is a free sound and light show called “Canada: Spirit of a Country,” which will take place every day after dark between July 5 and September 10, 2006. Images will be projected in Parliament. Buildings. Obviously, Parliament Hill is not just a boring place for politicians, it is an entertainment and meeting place for the people of Ottawa, people from the rest of the country and international tourists alike.
After discovering the Parliament buildings, I walked further west to take a look at the Supreme Court of Canada and the other surrounding buildings. What really fascinated me were the huge columns of steam coming out of the chimneys, I don’t remember seeing the same type of formations in Toronto. One person explained to me that the air in Ottawa is calmer compared to Toronto where the wind is always blowing from the lake which actually disperses these clouds of smoke. An interesting sight….
This cool morning walk was the perfect introduction to Ottawa and a great way to burn off the calories from last night’s high-calorie evening at Fat Tuesday’s. After a hearty breakfast at the Lord Elgin Hotel, we hit the road to begin our day of skating the Rideau Canal Skateway, the main reason we had come to Ottawa.
