Ottawa, ON Day 4

Miles Traveled 0

Total Miles Traveled 5024

Day 296

We spent a large part of our day on a tour of the Centre Block on Parliament Hill.  The Centre Block is home to the Senate, the House of Commons and the Library of Parliament.  It is where national issues are considered and examined, and where legislation is introduced, debated and passed into law.  The building is a six story high structure and displays a multitude of stone carvings.  The walls are faced with more than 50,000 blocks of over 24 different types of stone.   The Centre Block is depicted on the Canadian $10 bill. 

Centre Block with the Peace Tower in forefront.

Confederation Hall

The House of Commons Chamber is in the west half of the Centre Block, and is a democratically elected body whose members are known as Members of Parliament (MP’s).  The green carpet is the same color as that used in the House of Commons in England for well over 300 years.

The Senate Chamber is located in the east half of the Centre Block, and is modeled after the House of Lords and consists of 105 members appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister. The Senate is decorated in red, which is traditionally identified as a royal color, because this is where the Queen or her representative, the Governor General, addresses parliament.

The Library of Parliament preserves and protects Canada’s legislative past.  It ensures that senators and members of Parliament have immediate access to over half a million books and documents that will help to inform them on all matters of parliamentary concern.  The Library of Parliament is depicted on the Canadian $20 bill.

The Peace Tower is dedicated to the more than 65,000 Canadian soldiers who lost their lives during the First World War.  The tower stands 302 feet tall and contains the Memorial Chamber, a commemoration to those who died in military service for Canada.  It is also a freestanding bell tower which bells chime every quarter hour.  The 53 bells in the Peace Tower carillon are of all different sizes.  The largest weighs 22,244 pounds, down to the smallest of 10 pounds.  The Peace Tower is depicted on the Canadian $50 bill.