7/1/2014 Centre Block - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centre_Block 1/15

Centre Block

General information

Architectural style Gothic Revival

Town or city Ottawa, Ontario

Country Canada

Coordinates 45.42506°N 75.699829°W

Construction started 24 July 1916

Completed 1 July 1927

Client The Crown in Right of

Canada (1866, 1916)

Owner The Queen in Right of

Canada

Design and construction

Architect John A. Pearson and Jean-

Omer Marchand

Centre BlockFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Centre Block (in French: Édifice du centre) is the mainbuilding of the Canadian parliamentary complex onParliament Hill, in Ottawa, Ontario, containing the House ofCommons and Senate chambers, as well as the offices of anumber of members of parliament, senators, and senioradministration for both legislative houses. It is also thelocation of several ceremonial spaces, such as the Hall ofHonour, the Memorial Chamber, and Confederation Hall.

Built in the Gothic Revival style, the present Centre Block isthe second iteration of the building, after the first wasdestroyed by fire in 1916; all that remains of the originalbuilding is the Library of Parliament, at the rear of the CentreBlock. Though construction began immediately after theblaze, sculpting work on the interior continued through the1970s. One of the most recognizable buildings in Canada, theCentre Block is depicted on the Canadian $10 bill (theLibrary of Parliament), $20 bill (the Peace Tower), and the$50 bill.

Contents

1 Characteristics

1.1 Confederation Hall

1.2 Hall of Honour

1.3 Senate chamber

1.4 Senate foyer

1.5 Commons chamber

1.6 Commons foyer

2 History

2.1 Great fire

2.2 Rebuilding

2.3 Continued life

3 See also

4 References

5 External links

7/1/2014 Centre Block - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centre_Block 2/15

Centre Block, seen from the south

east corner

Characteristics

Designed by Jean Omer Marchand and John A. Pearson, the Centre Block is a 144 m (472 ft) long by 75 m

(246 ft) deep, and six storey high,[1] symmetrical structure built in the modern Gothic Revival style. As such, itdisplays a multitude of stone carvings, including gargoyles, grotesques, and friezes, keeping with the Victorian HighGothic style of the rest of the parliamentary complex. The walls are faced with more than 50,000 blocks of over 24different types of stone, though a rustic finished Nepean sandstone is the predominant kind of masonry, with

dressed stone trim around the 550 windows and other edges.[2] The roof is of reinforced concrete covered withcopper, and dotted with dormer windows. The interior walls are sheeted with Tyndall stone, a dolomitic limestonequarried in southeastern Manitoba and chosen by the architect for the richness of its vibrant colour and rich texture,formed by darker brown spots caused by fine fern markings. These surfaces are augmented by sculptural

decoration done in Indiana limestone.[3]

The Centre Block houses offices and facilities, including the primeminister's office, that of the leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition,and the offices of other party leaders, as well as senators, ministers, andcommons staff. Further, there are numerous parliamentary committee

rooms and the Parliamentary Press Gallery.[4]

Confederation Hall

The Centre Block is arranged symmetrically around Confederation Hall,located immediately inside the main entrance. It is an octagonal chamber,the perimeter of which is divided by limestone clustered columns intoeight bays of two different sizes, themselves subdivided by dark greensyenite pillars. Behind these runs a vaulted ambulatory that supports theupper gallery. The arcaded arches are topped by gables sculpted tocommemorate the confederated nature of Canada and they support oneside of the hall's fan vaulted ceiling with carved bosses, while the otherside rests on a single column in the centre of the room. This column isborne on a stone carved with an image of Neptune amongst sea lions and

fish in a mythical sea. It was placed at noon on 2 July 1917, to mark the 50th anniversary of Confederation,[5] andabove it was carved the words:

“1867 JULY 1917 ON THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CONFEDERATION OFBRITISH COLONIES IN NORTH AMERICA AS THE DOMINION OF CANADA THE

PARLIAMENT AND PEOPLE DEDICATE THIS BUILDING IN PROCESS OFRECONSTRUCTION AFTER DAMAGE BY FIRE AS A MEMORIAL OF THE DEEDS OF

THEIR FOREFATHERS AND OF THE VALOUR OF THOSE CANADIANS WHO IN THEGREAT WAR FOUGHT FOR THE LIBERTIES OF CANADA, OF THE EMPIRE AND OF

HUMANITY.[6] ”

Around the central column is an inlaid marble floor with a 16 point windrose of Verde Antique serpentine fromRoxbury, Vermont, and a swirl pattern of green serpentine from the Greek island of Tinos, embedded in Missisquoi

Boulder Grey marble, from Philipsburg, Quebec.[7] The overall pattern represents the essential element of water,

7/1/2014 Centre Block - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centre_Block 3/15

Confederation Hall, viewed from the

surrounding gallery

Hall of Honour, running between the

Library of Parliament and

Confederation Hall

alluding to Canada's motto: A Mari Usque Ad Mare (From Sea to

Sea).[8] The inner and outer circles of the floor are made of a MissisquoiBlack marble from Philipsburg, Quebec, and white travertine from Italy,as well as Verde Antique serpentine separated by a band of Missisquoi

Boulder Grey marble.[7]

Though a design model of the room was presented as early as January1918, Confederation Hall was the last part of the Centre Block's interiorto be completed; the Missisquoi black marble base was laid on 11August 1921 and the Tyndall limestone vault—built from a full scalewood and plaster model—was completed in December of the following

year.[5] Still, the detailed carving, the designs for which had been finalisedby Cléophas Soucy in 1941, remained incomplete until 1953, due to

occurrence of the Second World War. Upon completion of this work, the gables of the arch tympanums wereadorned with the coats of arms of Canada and the provinces, each surrounded by relevant floral symbols: on theeast wall thistles for Nova Scotia, Tudor roses for Prince Edward Island, and grapes and apples for NewBrunswick; on the south wall lilies, maple leaves, and Tudor roses for Newfoundland and Labrador, pine cones,oak leaves, and acorns for Nunavut, and maple leaves for British Columbia; on the west wall grapevines and applesfor Saskatchewan, sunflowers, corn, and wheat for Alberta, and wheat and pine cones for Manitoba; and on thewest wall sunflowers, wheat, and corn for Ontario, pine cones, oak leaves, and acorns for Canada, and Tudorroses for Quebec. The remaining territorial coats of arms are located in the southeast (Northwest Territories) andsouthwest (Yukon) corners. The gable springers all display the coats of arms of the provincial and territorialcapitals, while the gable ramparts bear symbols of Canada's fauna.

The apex stones atop each central arch are carved into figures from Canadian life, two Inuit with huskies beingfound on the east wall, two heads each representing the merchant marine and agriculture on the south wall, two ofCanada's First Nations people on the west wall, and a lumberjack and miner with a wheel of industry on the north

wall.[9] There were originally two renditions of the sovereign's Canadian arms, one each on the north and southwalls of Confederation Hall; however, the latter was reworked in 2000 by Maurice Joanisse into the above

mentioned coat of arms of the newly created territory of Nunavut.[10]

Hall of Honour

Extending from Confederation Hall is the Centre Block's north to southaxis, running between the Library of Parliament and the Peace Tower,through the Hall of Honour, which serves as the route of the parades forboth speakers of parliament, as well as where the lying in state segmentof some state funerals takes place. It is a long, rib vaulted space ofTyndall limestone divided into five bays by superimposed double arcadesof lancet arches atop clustered columns on pedestals. These bays aresubdivided in half by single-story pointed arches on dark green syenitepillars, above which sit clerestory windows of cusped lights segmentedby Missisquoi Black marble posts, though only those on the east of thehall are windows, while the others are blind.

7/1/2014 Centre Block - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centre_Block 4/15

Hall of Honour before the carving of

its corbels between 1947 and 1949

Canadian Senate Chamber

Running the length of the hall and resting on corbels carved into earlyEnglish foliage and other customary symbols, is a ribbed vault ceilingrising to bosses carved with Tudor roses and fleur-de-lis. The hall isbisected by small, vaulted corridors, the east one leading to a committeeroom, and the west to the old reading room; the latter is known as theCorrespondents' Entrance, as it is lined with bosses and label stopssculpted by Cléophas Soucy between 1949 and 1950 into the visages often notable parliamentary correspondents: Charles Bishop, HenriBourassa, John Wesley Dafoe, Joseph Howe, Grattan O'Leary, FrankOliver, John Ross Robertson, Philip Dansken Ross, Joseph Israël Tarte,and Robert S. White. The north end of the hall is crossed on both levelsby the Centre Block's north corridor, with an overlooking gallery lined by

iron railings by Paul Beau.[11]

The Hall of Honour was intended to be a gallery where statues of notable Canadians would be arranged in theniches along each side. That plan was later abandoned, however, in favour of a more general purpose ofcommemorating the 1916 fire, as well as honouring those who participated in the Great War. The sculptures remainincomplete; only the north end, closest to the Library of Parliament, has completed carvings. The largest of thesestone sculptures is a low relief memorial to nursing in Canada, depicting those care-givers who participated in

World War I,[12] while another work, Canada Remembers, pays tribute to those who were involved in the

Second World War.[13] Two other pieces mark the efforts of early nation-building, such as that donated by

Canadians living in the United States and which celebrates the 60th anniversary of Confederation.[7]

Senate chamber

In the east wing of the Centre Block is the Senate chamber, in which are the thrones for the Canadian monarch andher consort, or for the federal viceroy and his or her consort, and from which either the sovereign or the governorgeneral gives the Speech from the Throne and grants Royal Assent to bills passed by parliament. The senatorsthemselves sit in the chamber, arranged so that those belonging to the governing party are to the right of the

Speaker of the Senate and the opposition to the speaker's left.[14]

The overall colour in the Senate chamber is red, seen in the upholstery,carpeting, and draperies, and reflecting the colour scheme of the Houseof Lords in the United Kingdom; red was a more royal colour,associated with the Crown and hereditary peers. Capping the room is agilt ceiling with deep octagonal coffers, each filled with heraldic symbols,including maple leafs, fleur-de-lis, lions rampant, clàrsach, WelshDragons, and lions passant. This plane rests on six pairs and four singlepilasters, each of which is capped by a caryatid, and between which areclerestory windows. Below the windows is a continuous architrave,broken only by baldachins at the base of each of the above pilasters.

On the east and west walls of the chamber are eight murals depicting scenes from the First World War; painted inbetween 1916 and 1920, they were originally part of the more than 1,000 piece Canadian War Memorials Fund,founded by the Lord Beaverbrook, and were intended to hang in a specific memorial structure. But the project

7/1/2014 Centre Block - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centre_Block 5/15

Gold leaf and painted coffers of the

Senate chamber ceiling

The Diamond Jubilee Window in the

Senate foyer

never eventuated and the works were stored at the National Gallery of Canada until, in 1921, parliament requested

some of the collection's oil paintings on loan for display in the Centre Block.[15][16] The murals have remained in theSenate chamber ever since.

Edgar Bundy's Landing of the First Canadian Division at Saint-Nazaire, 1915, depicts the first landing of Canadian troops in France, atSaint-Nazaire, led off the Novian by the pipe band of the Black Watch(Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, and watched by officers, troops,

and townspeople.[17] Algernon Talmage painted A Mobile VeterinaryUnit in France, showing a scene on the Cambrai front, where aCanadian Mobile Veterinary Unit is taking wounded horses to an

evacuating station.[18] Railway Construction in France was painted byLeonard Richmond to show the construction of a railway by theCanadian Overseas Railway Construction Corps, in the deepest trench in

France.[19] James Kerr-Lawson was commissioned by the CanadianWar Memorials Fund to create both Arras, the Dead City—which

depicts the ruins of Arras Cathedral as they were in 1917[20]—and The

Cloth Hall, Ypres, a painting of the destroyed, 600 year old Cloth Hall in Ypres.[21] Claire Atwood's On Leavedocuments (as battlefield scenes were thought inappropriate subject matter for female artists) the home frontactivities of the Canadian Expeditionary Force at a YMCA canteen in one of London's train stations as they await

their train to the battlefront.[22] The Watch on the Rhine (The Last Phase) was painted by Sir William Rothensteinto symbolically represent the defeat of Germany, with a British howitzer facing across the Rhine, and old and new

Germany embodied in the ancient hills and factory chimney.[23] And Sir George Clausen's Returning to theReconquered Land was painted to illustrate agricultural land behind the front lines in France and shows people

returning to their destroyed homes following the armistice.[24]

Senate foyer

To the immediate south of the Senate is that room's foyer, a doubleheight space surrounded by a double layered colonnade, the inside ringof attached shaft columns rising to the ceiling and the outside ring of rosecoloured limestone columns supporting a second floor gallery. Within thestonework are sculpted depictions of various important figures in pre-Confederation Canada, as well as self-portraits of the sculptors whofashioned the stone. A number are dedicated as the Sovereigns' Arches,with corbels sculpted into depictions of Canada's monarchs; the latest tobe added was that of Queen Elizabeth II, unveiled on 9 December

2010.[25] The entire ceiling is of a Tudor style stone tracery filled withstained glass depicting royal emblems, such as provincial coats of arms,as well as symbols of First Nations and the names of all the speakers ofthe Senate up until the ceiling's installation in 1920.

Above the exterior entrance into the foyer is a stained glass windowcommemorating the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. Designed byChristopher Goodman and Angela Zissoff of Kelowna, British Columbia,

7/1/2014 Centre Block - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centre_Block 6/15

Commons chamber

Main door to the House of Commons,

as seen from the commons foyer

with input from the Speaker of the Senate, Noël A. Kinsella, and the Canadian Secretary to the Queen and Usher

of the Black Rod, Kevin MacLeod, and approved by the Queen,[26] the window shows Elizabeth and QueenVictoria with their respective royal cyphers and renditions of the Centre Block during the reign of each

monarch.[27][28] A gift to the monarch from the Senate, it was constructed over six weeks from 500 pieces of

machine made and mouth-blown glass from France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States.[26] Amodel was unveiled by the Queen at Rideau Hall on 30 June 2011 and, after installation of the finished piece, the

window was dedicated by Governor General David Johnston on 7 February 2012.[29]

The foyer walls bear portraits of Canada's past and present monarchs; those of King George VI and QueenVictoria are originals that were rescued four times from fire, while others were added after the new Centre Block

was built.[14]

Commons chamber

The western wing of the building contains the House of Commonschamber, along with its antechamber and lobbies for the government andopposition, on the east and west sides of the main commons space. The

doors to all are of white oak trimmed with hand-wrought iron.[30]

The chamber is 21 metres long, 16 metres wide,[30] and has seats for320 members of parliament and 580 persons in the upper gallery that

runs around the second level of the room.[31] The overall colour schemeis in green—visible in the carpeting, bench upholstery, draperies, paintwithin the gilded honeycomb cork plaster work of the cove, and thestretched linen canvas over the ceiling—and is reflective of the colourused in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom since at least

1663.[30] That canvas, sitting 14.7 m above the commons floor and

designed in 1920 by the New York decorating firm Mack,[30] Jenneyand Tyler, is painted with the heraldic symbols of the Canadian,provincial, and territorial coats of arms, with medallions at theintersections of diagonal stencilled bands in an argyle pattern. Runningbelow this, and above the cove, is a continuous gold leaf cornice createdin 1919 by Enrico Filiberto Cerracchio, which displays a row of giltfigures, broken at the peak of each pointed arch by cherubs holding acartouche, and behind all of which runs a painted grapevine with Tudor

roses.[32]

On the floor, the opposing members' benches are spaced 3.96 m aparton either side of the room, a measurement said to be equivalent to twoswords' length, harkening back to when English members of parliamentcarried swords into the chamber. Directly between, directly opposite themain door, on the axis of the chamber, is the speaker's chair, made in1921 by the English firm of Harry Hems as an exact replica of that in the

British House of Commons.[33] It is topped by a carved wood canopybearing a rendition of the royal coat of arms of Canada sculpted in wood from the roof of the Westminster Hall,

7/1/2014 Centre Block - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centre_Block 7/15

which was built in 1397; the whole was a gift from the British branch of what is today the CommonwealthParliamentary Association. The chair has since been augmented with a hydraulic lift, lighting, writing surfaces, and,at the foot of the chair, a television screen and computer screen to aid the speaker in monitoring the process of thehouse. Behind the chair is a door that gives the speaker access to the speaker's corridor, which links the commonschamber to the speaker's chambers, and which is lined with portraits of past speakers of the House of

Commons.[30]

In the east and west walls of the commons chamber are 12 windows topped by pointed arches with hood mouldsterminated by pendant drops. The glazing within is stained glass, commissioned as a Centennial Project in 1967 bythen Speaker of the House of Commons Lucien Lamoureux. Each window contains approximately 2,000 pieces ofhand-blown glass—created in Ottawa by Russell C. Goodman using medieval techniques—arranged in aDecorated Gothic style pattern designed by R. Eleanor Milne. Divided into four sections by stone mullions, theupper parts contain geometrical tracery and provincial and territorial floral emblems amongst ferns; in the tracery at

the head of the windows are symbols extracted from the coats of arms of the provinces and territories.[34]

As with other areas of the Centre Block, the commons walls are enriched with shafts, blind tracery, friezes, and asculpture programme. The room was the last space in the building to be carved, with sculptural work only beginningin the late 1950s and continuing intermittently for the following two decades; approximately 225 blocks of varying

sizes still remain uncarved.[3] Amongst the work done are three series of stone works: The British North AmericaAct, a set of 12 high reliefs on the east and west walls of the chamber, carved between 1978 and 1985, andillustrating through symbols and narrative themes associated with the federal and provincial responsibilities laid out in

the British North America Act;[35] Evolution of Life, a series of 14 sculptures within the spandrels of the pier-arches at the north and south ends of the House of Commons, depicting Canada's palaeontological past and the

evolution of humanity through philosophy, science, and the imagination;[36] and Speakers and Clerks, comprisingfour heads carved on the jambs of the two doors on either side of the Speaker's chair, depicting the speakers andclerks of the House of Commons at the time of the opening of both parliament buildings in 1867 and 1920,

respectively.[37]

Commons foyer

Directly south of the House of Commons is that room's foyer, a rectangular, two storey arcaded hall surrounded byclustered limestone piers and moulded arches that support an upper cloister lined with black marble posts. Thefoyer is approached from Confederation Hall by the South Corridor, which is lined with portraits of former prime

ministers,[30] as well as via an entrance hall that opens to the front of the Centre Block and which is separated fromthe foyer by a Rose Tavernelle marble balustrade. The floor of the commons foyer is of Missisquoi Boulder Greymarble with borders of Verde Antique serpentine.

The walls bear a series of 10 bas-relief panels showing 25,000 years of Canada's history and,[30] directly above, isa stone tracery ceiling with soft green coloured glass infill manufactured by the N.T. Lyon Glass Company ofToronto. The ceiling's appearance is similar to that found in the Senate foyer, except here the borders are of oakleaves, pine cones, and acorns; the octagonal panels are filled with Tudor roses and fleur-de-lis; the monogram HC(for House of Commons) is placed in all the small oblong panels; and the oval panels bear symbols of the variousgovernment departments amid sprigs of maple leaves: a steam crane represents Public Works; a beaver and beesrepresent trade and industry; a lighthouse and ship represent the naval services and a military ship at sea representsthe overseas military; letters, stamps, and caduceus represent the Postmaster General; fish and an anchor representthe fisheries; wheat and a sickle represent agriculture; pounds and dollars represent finance; a crowned globe

7/1/2014 Centre Block - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centre_Block 8/15

Centre Block under construction in

1863

Centre Block as it appeared prior to

1916

represents the Geological Survey; a moose and crown represents the Ministry of the Interior; a helmet andweapons represent militia and defence; crates and 33⅓% represent customs; a steam locomotive represents therailway; a scale and sword represents justice; picks, shovels, and a saw represent mining and forestry; and a

crown, mace, and the granting of Royal Assent represent parliament itself.[38]

History

The Department of Public Works for the Province of Canada sent out,on 7 May 1859, a call for architects to submit proposals for the newparliament buildings to be erected on Barrack Hill, which was answeredwith 298 submitted drawings. After the entries were narrowed down tothree, then Governor General Sir Edmund Walker Head wasapproached to break the stalemate, and the winner was announced on29 August 1859. The Centre Block, departmental buildings, and a newresidence for the governor general were each awarded separately, andthe team of Thomas Fuller and Chilion Jones, under the pseudonym ofSemper Paratus, won the prize for the first category with their VictorianHigh Gothic scheme with a formal, symmetrical front facing a quadrangle,and a more rustic, picturesque back facing the escarpment overlooking

the Ottawa River.[39]

The groundbreaking took place on 20 December 1859; however,workers soon hit bedrock, which, combined with a change to the designthat saw the foundation moved to 17 feet deeper, meant costly blasting.Still, by 16 April of the following year, the first of the many colouredvarieties of stone were laid – Nepean sandstone, red sandstone fromPotsdam, New York, and a grey Ohio freestone. On 1 September 1860,Prince Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) arrivedin Ottawa as part of his wider royal tour of the province, and laid the

cornerstone of the growing Centre Block,[40] with a luncheon on thegrounds for the workers and their families. The Ottawa Citizen said on 6June of the upcoming event:

“[I]t will be the first occasion on which he will be publicly recognized as the Heir-Apparent and hewill see in the demonstrations of the Canadians something of a political rather than of a personal

and individual character[...] in after, when he occupies a more elevated position he will gratefully

remember that his 'first appearance' as the representative of sovereign power and the warmth of

feeling evinced towards him will make him more disposed to redress any grievances of the

Canadians and more anxious to give his support to measures calculated to promote the prosperity

of that country.[41] ”

By 1866, the parliament of the United Province of Canada sat in its first and only session in the new building, bythen dominated by the central Victoria Tower on the formal front, and with an articulated rear facade shaped alongthe curves of the adjacent cliff. The stonework contained carved mouldings, sculpted foliage, real and mythicalanimals, grotesques, and emblems of France, England, Ireland, and Scotland, spread across and over pointedwindows in various groupings, turrets, towers, and finials, while the roof was of grey and green slate, topped with

7/1/2014 Centre Block - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centre_Block 9/15

Centre Block ablaze in 1916

iron cresting painted china blue with gilt tips.[42] Beautiful as the building was, however, the final tallies of the costsshowed that the original budget had been far surpassed, with the total price of the Centre Block being $1,373,633,at 1866 rates, when $1,093,500 had originally been allocated for the construction of the entire parliamentary

precinct.[41]

On 1 July 1867, the Dominion of Canada was formed, with Ottawa as the capital, and the houses of parliament thelegislature, for a larger territory than for which they had originally been built; within four years, the Dominionstretched all the way from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. From 1906 to 1914, the Centre Block was expandedto suit the additional members of parliament and staff from the newly formed provinces of Alberta and

Saskatchewan.[42]

Great fire

A fire alarm was raised in the Centre Block on 3 February 1916, at 8:37pm; something had been seen smouldering in a wastebasket in theReading Room, but, as this was not terribly unusual, a clerk was called toassist. However, by that point, the fire had progressed beyond control inthe wood-panelled and paper-filled room. The House of Commons wasin session that evening, and was interrupted by the chief doorkeeper ofthe Commons calling for evacuation; some women in the gallery, unawareof the urgency, attempted to reclaim their fur coats from the coat check,and perished. Others, meanwhile, formed a human chain to carryfurniture, files, and artwork out of the burning structure; the portrait ofQueen Victoria in the commons chamber was rescued from flames for

the second time. A half hour after the fire started came the first of five explosions,[43] and, shortly after midnight, thelarge bell in the Victoria Tower crashed to the ground; it had tolled each hour until midnight, when, after ringing

eleven times, it ceased to function.[43] When the fire crews thought that the inferno had been quelled, flamesemerged in the Senate chamber. Within twelve hours, the building was completely destroyed, except for the Libraryof Parliament, spared by the closing of its heavy metal doors, and the Cabinet immediately moved to meet at the

nearby Château Laurier hotel.[44] The parliament itself relocated to the Victoria Memorial Museum Building while

the new Centre Block was constructed.[45]

With the fire occurring in the midst of the First World War, rumours began to circulate that the blaze had beenstarted by a German arsonist, the Toronto Globe asserting that while the official cause of the fire was reported as acarelessly left cigar, "unofficial Ottawa, including many Members of Parliament, declare 'the Hun hath done thisthing.'"

Rebuilding

Reconstruction of the Centre Block began immediately, with a team of architects led by John A. Pearson and Jean-Omer Marchand overseeing a design that was much like the original, but expanded in size and pared down inornament, more in keeping with the Beaux-Arts ethos of the time. By 1 September 1916, less than seven monthssince the fire, the original cornerstone was relaid by the then governor general, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaughtand Strathearn, exactly 56 years after his brother, the future King Edward VII, had done the same. The newbuilding was to be constructed with a steel frame, and an interior predominantly finished in stone, as well as with a

more logical layout and clear exiting strategy.[46]

7/1/2014 Centre Block - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centre_Block 10/15

Centre Block under construction, 1

June 1916

View of the Centre Block from

Gatineau, Quebec.

On 26 January 1920, the first sitting of parliament in the new CentreBlock was opened by Governor General the Duke of Devonshire.However, the ceremony was also exceptional for the fact that it tookplace in the House of Commons, rather than the Senate, as the latter hadnot yet been constructed. Similarly, the corridors and main chamberswere still devoid of their decorative carvings, which would be completedover the ensuing fifty years, and it was not until Dominion Day of 1927that the Peace Tower was dedicated by Governor General the Viscount

Willingdon.[46]

Continued life

On 18 May 1966, Paul Joseph Chartier killed himself as he left a CentreBlock washroom by accidentally detonating the bomb he had beenpreparing to throw onto the floor of the House of Commons from thepublic galleries above to, as he put it in his notes, "exterminate as manymembers as possible." Security in the building was thereafter heightened;however, tests of this by journalism students that November proved that

the precautions had been little improved.[47] Later, in 1989, CharlesYacoub hijacked a Greyhound Lines bus and drove it up onto ParliamentHill.

By the 1990s, it was deemed necessary for an upgrade to be made tothe Centre Block's mechanical and electrical systems, which wouldnecessitate a new plant for these amenities. To avoid disturbing theheritage facades and spaces of the building, as well as erecting newstructures within the parliamentary precinct, the two storey, 50 m x 40 msquare plant and new loading docks, called Centre Block UndergroundServices (CBUS), were constructed underground, seeing, in 1997, the

removal of 25,000 m3 of rock from under and near the Centre

Block.[48][49]

Future upgrades will require extensive internal renovations, including both parliamentary chambers and associatedareas. As this will cause a multi-year disruption, plans are in place to enclose the courtyards of the East and West

Blocks for use as temporary legislative chambers while the Centre Block is out of commission.[50]

See also

Legislative buildings of Canada

List of portraits in the Centre Block

References

1. ^ Beauchesne, Arthur (1948). Canada's Parliament Buildings: The Senate and House of Commons, Ottawa.

7/1/2014 Centre Block - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centre_Block 11/15

1. ^ Beauchesne, Arthur (1948). Canada's Parliament Buildings: The Senate and House of Commons, Ottawa.

Ottawa. p. 24.

2. ^ Public Works and Government Services Canada. "A Treasure to Explore > Parliament Hill > History of the Hill >

Centre Block > Centre Block Exterior" (http://www.collineduparlement-parliamenthill.gc.ca/histoire-

history/centre/eec-cbe-eng.html). Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 2008-12-30.

3. ̂a b Library of Parliament. "The House of Commons Heritage Collection > Heritage Spaces > House of Commons

Chamber > Architectural Sculpture" (http://www.parl.gc.ca/Sites/Collections//heritage_spaces/chamber/sculpture-

e.htm). Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 2009-01-01.

4. ^ Public Works and Government Services Canada. "A Treasure to Explore > Parliament Hill > History of the Hill >

Centre Block > Centre Block Underground Services (CBUS)" (http://www.collineduparlement-

parliamenthill.gc.ca/histoire-history/centre/ssec-cbus-eng.html). Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 2008-12-30.

5. ̂a b Library of Parliament. "The House of Commons Heritage Collection > Heritage Spaces > Confederation Hall"

(http://www.parl.gc.ca/Sites/Collections//heritage_spaces/confederation/confed_hall-e.htm). Queen's Printer for

Canada. Retrieved 2008-12-30.

6. ^ Library of Parliament. "The House of Commons Heritage Collection > Heritage Spaces > Confederation Hall >

Thumbnail index > Column" (http://www.parl.gc.ca/Sites/Collections//heritage_spaces/confederation/column/2363-

xl-e.htm). Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 2008-12-30.

7. ̂a b c Library of Parliament. "The House of Commons Heritage Collection > Heritage Spaces > Confederation Hall

> Thumbnail index > Floor" (http://www.parl.gc.ca/Sites/Collections//heritage_spaces/confederation/column/floor-

xl-e.htm). Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 2008-12-24.

8. ^ Public Works and Government Services Canada. "A Treasure to Explore > Parliament Hill > History of the Hill >

Centre Block > Rotunda" (http://www.collineduparlement-parliamenthill.gc.ca/histoire-history/centre/rotonde-

rotunda-eng.html). Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 2008-12-30.

9. ^ Library of Parliament. "The House of Commons Heritage Collection > Heritage Spaces > Confederation Hall >

Thumbnail index" (http://www.parl.gc.ca/Sites/Collections//heritage_spaces/confederation/gables/gables_thumbs-

e.htm). Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 2008-12-31.

10. ^ Library of Parliament. "The House of Commons Heritage Collection > Heritage Spaces > Confederation Hall >

Architectural Sculpture – Gables"

(http://www.parl.gc.ca/Sites/Collections//heritage_spaces/confederation/gables/gables-e.htm). Queen's Printer for

Canada. Retrieved 2008-12-30.

11. ^ Public Works and Government Services Canada. "A Treasure to Explore > Parliament Hill > History of the Hill >

Centre Block > Hall of Honour" (http://www.collineduparlement-parliamenthill.gc.ca/histoire-history/centre/hall-

honr-eng.html). Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 2008-12-30.

12. ^ Library of Parliament. "The House of Commons Heritage Collection > Heritage Spaces > Hall of Honour >

Architectural Sculpture thumbnail index > Nurses' Memorial"

(http://www.parl.gc.ca/Sites/Collections//heritage_spaces/honour/sculpture/1060-e.htm). Queen's Printer for

Canada. Retrieved 2008-12-31.

13. ^ Library of Parliament. "The House of Commons Heritage Collection > Heritage Spaces > Hall of Honour >

Architectural Sculpture thumbnail index > Canada Remembers"

(http://www.parl.gc.ca/Sites/Collections//heritage_spaces/honour/sculpture/4667-e.htm). Queen's Printer for

Canada. Retrieved 2008-12-31.

14. ̂a b Public Works and Government Services Canada. "A Treasure to Explore > Parliament Hill > History of the Hill

7/1/2014 Centre Block - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centre_Block 12/15

14. ̂a b Public Works and Government Services Canada. "A Treasure to Explore > Parliament Hill > History of the Hill

> Centre Block > Senate" (http://www.collineduparlement-parliamenthill.gc.ca/histoire-history/centre/senat-senate-

eng.html). Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 2008-12-30.

15. ^ Library of Parliament. "The War Paintings in the Senate Chamber > Introduction"

(http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/warpaintings/intro-e.asp). Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 2009-

01-01.

16. ^ Library of Parliament. "The War Paintings in the Senate Chamber > Foreword"

(http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/warpaintings/foreword-e.asp). Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved

2009-01-01.

17. ^ Library of Parliament. "The War Paintings in the Senate Chamber > Paintings > Landing of the First Canadian

Division at Saint-Nazaire, 1915" (http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/warpaintings/bundy-e.asp). Queen's

Printer for Canada. Retrieved 2009-01-01.

18. ^ Library of Parliament. "The War Paintings in the Senate Chamber > Paintings > A Mobile Veterinary Unit in

France" (http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/warpaintings/talmage-e.asp). Queen's Printer for Canada.

Retrieved 2009-01-01.

19. ^ Library of Parliament. "The War Paintings in the Senate Chamber > Paintings > Railway Construction in France"

(http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/warpaintings/richmond-e.asp). Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved

2009-01-01.

20. ^ Library of Parliament. "The War Paintings in the Senate Chamber > Paintings > Arras, the Dead City"

(http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/warpaintings/kerr-lawsona-e.asp). Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved

2009-01-01.

21. ^ Library of Parliament. "The War Paintings in the Senate Chamber > Paintings > The Cloth Hall, Ypres"

(http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/warpaintings/kerr-lawsonb-e.asp). Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved

2009-01-01.

22. ^ Library of Parliament. "The War Paintings in the Senate Chamber > Paintings > On Leave"

(http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/warpaintings/atwood-e.asp). Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved

2009-01-01.

23. ^ Library of Parliament. "The War Paintings in the Senate Chamber > Paintings > The Watch on the Rhine (The

Last Phase)" (http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/warpaintings/rothenstein-e.asp). Queen's Printer for

Canada. Retrieved 2009-01-01.

24. ^ Library of Parliament. "The War Paintings in the Senate Chamber > Paintings > Returning to the Reconquered

Land" (http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/warpaintings/clausen-e.asp). Queen's Printer for Canada.

Retrieved 2009-01-01.

25. ^ Office of the Governor General of Canada (7 December 2010). "Governor General to Unveil the Corbel of Her

Majesty Queen Elizabeth II" (http://www.gg.ca/document.aspx?id=13980&lan=eng). Queen's Printer for Canada.

Retrieved 7 December 2010.

26. ̂a b Parliament of Canada. "The Diamond Jubilee Window: A Celebration of the Crown in Canada > The Diamond

Jubilee Window" (http://www.parl.gc.ca/About/Senate/jubilee/crown-e.htm). Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved

15 April 2012.

27. ^ Foot, Richard (29 June 2010). "Queen Elizabeth in Halifax"

(http://news.globaltv.com/canada/Queen+Elizabeth+tour+Canada/3208763/story.html?

utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+canwest%2FF8163+(Global+News++-

+Canada)). Global News. Retrieved 1 July 2010.

7/1/2014 Centre Block - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centre_Block 13/15

+Canada)). Global News. Retrieved 1 July 2010.

28. ^ Foot, Richard (27 June 2010), "Queen Elizabeth to skip Quebec on Canadian tour"

(http://www.montrealgazette.com/Queen+skip+Quebec+Canadian+tour/3208778/story.html), Montreal Gazette,

retrieved 1 July 2010

29. ^ Office of the Governor General of Canada (6 February 2012). "Governor General to Attend the Dedication

Ceremony of the Diamond Jubilee Window in Senate Foyer" (http://www.gg.ca/document.aspx?id=14416).

Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 9 February 2012.

30. ̂a b c d e f g Marleau, Robert & Montpetit, Camille. "House of Commons Procedure and Practice > 6. The

Physical and Administrative Setting" (http://www2.parl.gc.ca/MarleauMontpetit/DocumentViewer.aspx?

Sec=Ch06&Seq=4&Lang=E). Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 2009-01-02.

31. ^ Library of Parliament. "The House of Commons Heritage Collection > Heritage Spaces > House of Commons

Chamber" (http://www.parl.gc.ca/Sites/Collections//heritage_spaces/chamber-e.htm). Queen's Printer for Canada.

Retrieved 2008-12-31.

32. ^ Library of Parliament. "The House of Commons Heritage Collection > Heritage Spaces > House of Commons

Chamber > Ceiling of the House of Commons Chamber"

(http://www.parl.gc.ca/Sites/Collections//heritage_spaces/chamber/ceiling-e.htm). Queen's Printer for Canada.

Retrieved 2008-12-31.

33. ^ Olding, Simon (1977). "The Indefatigable Mr. Hems of Exeter". Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries 33 (8):

290–94.

34. ^ Library of Parliament. "The House of Commons Heritage Collection > Heritage Spaces > House of Commons

Chamber > Stained Glass Windows" (http://www.parl.gc.ca/Sites/Collections//heritage_spaces/chamber/windows-

e.htm). Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 2008-12-31.

35. ^ Library of Parliament. "The House of Commons Heritage Collection > Heritage Spaces > House of Commons

Chamber > Architectural Sculpture > British North America Act series"

(http://www.parl.gc.ca/Sites/Collections//heritage_spaces/chamber/stone/bna-e.htm). Queen's Printer for Canada.

Retrieved 2009-01-01.

36. ^ Library of Parliament. "The House of Commons Heritage Collection > Heritage Spaces > House of Commons

Chamber > Architectural Sculpture > Evolution of Life series"

(http://www.parl.gc.ca/Sites/Collections//heritage_spaces/chamber/stone/evolution-e.htm). Queen's Printer for

Canada. Retrieved 2009-01-01.

37. ^ Library of Parliament. "The House of Commons Heritage Collection > Heritage Spaces > House of Commons

Chamber > Architectural Sculpture > Speakers and Clerks series"

(http://www.parl.gc.ca/Sites/Collections//heritage_spaces/chamber/stone/speakers-e.htm). Queen's Printer for

Canada. Retrieved 2009-01-01.

38. ^ Library of Parliament. "The House of Commons Heritage Collection > Heritage Spaces > House of Commons

Foyer > Ceiling" (http://www.parl.gc.ca/Sites/Collections//heritage_spaces/foyer/ceiling-e.htm). Queen's Printer for

Canada. Retrieved 2008-12-31.

39. ^ Public Works and Government Services Canada. "A Treasure to Explore > Parliament Hill > The History of

Parliament Hill > Construction, 1859-1916 > Who would design it?" (http://www.collineduparlement-

parliamenthill.gc.ca/histoire-history/1859-1916-02-eng.html). Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 2009-01-01.

40. ^ Hubbard, R.H. (1977). Rideau Hall. Montreal and London: McGill-Queen's University Press. pp. 8–9. ISBN 978-

0-7735-0310-6.

7/1/2014 Centre Block - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centre_Block 14/15

External links

Physical Setting of the Parliament Buildings (http://www.parl.gc.ca/marleaumontpetit/DocumentViewer.aspx?

Sec=ch06&Seq=3&Lang=E)

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Centre_Block&oldid=608826216"

Categories: Parliament of Canada buildings Former buildings and structures in Canada

Buildings and structures completed in 1916 Destroyed landmarks in Canada

Rebuilt buildings and structures in Canada Sandstone buildings 1916 fires

Burned buildings and structures in Canada Thomas Fuller buildings

0-7735-0310-6.

41. ̂a b City of Ottawa. "Residents > Heritage > Archives > A Virtual Exhibit: Ottawa Becomes the Capital > Building

the Physical Reality" (http://www.ottawa.ca/residents/heritage/archives/virtual_exhibit/building_en.html). City of

Ottawa. Retrieved 2009-01-02.

42. ̂a b Public Works and Government Services Canada. "A Treasure to Explore > Parliament Hill > The History of

Parliament Hill > Construction, 1859-1916" (http://www.collineduparlement-parliamenthill.gc.ca/histoire-

history/1859-1916-eng.html). Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 2009-01-01.

43. ̂a b Ottawakiosk.com. "Ottawa > Arts & Entertainment > Attractions > Parliament Hill Tour"

(http://www.ottawakiosk.com/parliament/p_5.html). Ottawa Kiosk. Retrieved 2009-01-02.

44. ^ Public Works and Government Services Canada. "A Treasure to Explore > Parliament Hill > The History of

Parliament Hill > The Fire of 1916" (http://www.collineduparlement-parliamenthill.gc.ca/histoire-history/1916-

eng.html). Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 2009-01-01.

45. ^ Public Works and Government Services Canada. "A Treasure to Explore > Parliament Hill > The History of

Parliament Hill > The Fire of 1916 > Temporary legislature" (http://www.collineduparlement-

parliamenthill.gc.ca/histoire-history/incendi-fire-eng.html). Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 2009-01-02.

46. ̂a b Public Works and Government Services Canada. "A Treasure to Explore > Parliament Hill > The History of

Parliament Hill > Reconstruction, 1916-1965" (http://www.collineduparlement-parliamenthill.gc.ca/histoire-

history/1916-1965-eng.html). Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 2009-01-01.

47. ^ Hanlon, John (20 October 2007), "The Day We Broke the Silence of Centre Block"

(http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/city/story.html?id=c882ed16-7e48-48cd-95c8-b2df5af38ed7&p=1#),

Ottawa Citizen, retrieved 24 October 2009

48. ^ Carter, T.G.; Webb, G.S.; van Bers, M.V. & Culham, G. (2000). "Design and construction solutions for

excavation under and adjacent to the Parliament Buildings, Ottawa" (http://www.golder.com/archive/1999%20-

%20CBUS%20Excavation.pdf). Toronto: Golder Associates Ltd. p. 3. Retrieved 2009-01-02.

49. ^ http://parliamenthill.gc.ca/modern/ssec-cbus-eng.html

50. ^ Public Works and Government Services Canada. "Rehabilitation Phases"

(http://www.parliamenthill.gc.ca/modern/rehabilitation/phase-eng.html). Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 3

July 2009.

7/1/2014 Centre Block - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centre_Block 15/15

This page was last modified on 16 May 2014 at 12:30.Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply.

By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademarkof the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.