The History of the Parliament Buildings

Introduction:

Saint John High School, Saint John, NB
Teacher: Douglas Gould, Winter 2006, grade 12.

By Andrew Hicks
One of Canada's most recognized sites is the Parliament Buildings set in Ottawa, Ontario. Full of lush history, these buildings have their own story and have prevailed through several challenges in the past two centuries. This online tour will only guide you through the basis of our nation's parliament, as is there is so much history to these buildings to cover in one online tour.

Commentaires:

On December 20, 1859, ground was broken for Canada's future to commence the construction Parliament buildings. Construction was first "mind boggling" as the plans for the buildings were set on such a vast scale and had never been attempted in North America. Its construction plans were even larger than European standards.

Sources:

http://www.parliamenthill.gc.ca/youthzone/text/zonetime_restoration-e.html

Clefs de l'histoire:

Cette photographie montre le Parlement canadien en construction, à Ottawa. À la suite de l'incendie du Parlement du Canada-Uni, à Montréal, en 1849, le gouvernement siège à Toronto en 1850, puis se déplace à Québec. C'est en 1857 que la reine Victoria, à l'invitation du gouvernement formé par John A. Macdonald et George-Étienne Cartier, choisit le lieu où sera construit le Parlement canadien. Entre Québec, Montréal, Toronto, Kingston ou Ottawa, la reine opte pour cette dernière ville.

Les travaux débutent en 1859 et s'achèvent, pour la plupart des édifices, en 1866, soit juste un an avant que la confédération canadienne voie le jour.

Source : circuit web 'Désastres et calamités' de Nathalie Lampron (Voir sous l'onglet Liens)

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Commentaires:

Early in 1861, it was reported that $1,424,882.55 - more than two-and-a-half times the original estimate - had been spent. That September, construction closed down. Later, in June of 1862, a commission of inquiry was formed and managed the finances for the buildings' construction. In 1863, construction resumed. New contracts were signed with the architects. In 1866, the first and only session of the parliament of the United Province of Canada sat in the new building.

Sources:

http://www.parliamenthill.gc.ca/youthzone/text/zonetime_restoration-e.html

Commentaires:

As years past, more offices were needed as the country grew. More MPs were coming to Ottawa and larger departments were needed to meet the needs of a growing population. Before the Library had been completed or the grounds landscaped, an addition was made to the West Block.

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In 1876, the Library was finally completed, as well as the landscaped grounds. It was an accomplishment, but with further ideas in mind for expansion to the parliament buildings. Only history it's self could come in the way of the further construction of the buildings.

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At 8:37 p.m. on February 3rd, 1916, the alarm was raised. Fire in the Centre Block was supposedly created by a "cigar smoldering in a garbage can" as reported by a witness who saw such earlier that evening. At that time a cigar smoldering in a garbage can was not known as a possible threat to cause a fire. By the next morning the building was a smoking ruin.

Commentaires:

Only the Library survived because of the foresight of librarian Alpheus Todd in insisting on iron fire doors and clerk "Connie" MacCormac's quick thinking in ordering them to be slammed shut before evacuating the building. The interior of the Centre Block was finished with wood, the walls had recently been oiled and the floor varnished. It couldn't have been worse.

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Infact, Prime Minister Robert Borden was in one of the offices when he was alerted and escaped by crawling along the corridors on his hands and knees. Others formed human chains to find their way through the thick smoke. Some paused in their flight to grab furniture, artwork or papers. The portrait of Queen Victoria hanging in the Commons was rescued for the second time that night.

Commentaires:

Shortly after midnight the great bell in the Victoria Tower crashed to the ground. There was a high wind out of the north west that night. It caught the fire just west of the library and swept it towards the senate. After it had been decided that the Centre Block would be completely rebuilt, a team of architects was chosen to produce a design that looked as much like the old building as possible. However, many things had changed since the 1850s in architectural design. This time the building would be larger and have another storey added. The first parliament to sit in the new building opened with great ceremony on February 26th, 1920, just over four years after the fire. The country had changed dramatically during those years.

Commentaires:

In 1952, an electrical short in the roof of the Library caused a fire that nearly destroyed the Gothic Revival masterpiece. Firefighters desperately tried to reach the flames that were spreading within the dome by cutting through the metal roof and pouring water through. This effectively dowsed the fire but also flooded the interior. It was always known that the library was a bit too small for the parliament building and reconstruction was key into making a larger library. As time passed, a national library was built in Ottawa, making the library in the parliament no longer necessary to be larger. The Library in the parliament building was late restored and is currently under restoration today.

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Years past, and the newly constructed peace tower would reach a milestone of being half a century old after it's reconstruction that even lasted through a fire. Today the bottom of the peace tower includes a memorial for all those who perished in the great wars of the past two centuries. This memorial includes a book for each war, including the names of those who have died as a Canadian in war. Marble and stone has been delivered from all over the world as gifts to Canada into the construction of the memorial site. Everyday a ceremony is held into flipping each page of the books.

Commentaires:

Today the buildings of Parliament Hill stand strong, even being through several challenges and devastations this country has endured. The Parliament buildings can be thought of as a symbol of Canadian pride and strength that is in each and everyone of us. Today, ceremonies are held several times a year and make a great historical attraction for the entire world to see.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, The Parliament Buildings is what makes Canada succeed as a nation and country. Whether if a protest is held on parliament hill or a family outing, it is a site for peace, rights, government, spirit, human interest and much more. The Parliament buildings can be thought as the Canadian people and culture, which is "still standing strong".