Parliament of Canada

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The Centre Block, with the Peace Tower and Centennial Flame

The dramatic rear view of Parliament Hill, with the Library of Parliament perched atop the deep gorge of the Ottawa River

The changing of the guards in front of the Parliament

The Parliament of Canada is Canada's democratic legislative branch, seated at Ottawa, Ontario. According to section 17 of the Constitution Act, 1867 of the Constitution of Canada, Parliament consists of three parts:

the monarch (currently the Queen of Canada, Her Majesty Elizabeth II), who is most often represented by the Governor General of Canada. Most of the duties of the Queen are ceremonial and are defined by constitutional convention;
the Senate (also called "Upper House" or "Red Chamber"), normally consisting of 105 Senators (the Constitution allows the appointment of an additional 4 or 8 Senators if "the Queen thinks fit"), appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister; and
the House of Commons (also called "Lower House" or "Green Chamber"), currently consisting of 301 members (called Members of Parliament or MPs), one elected from each of Canada's 301 federal ridings. The number of federal ridings will rise to 308, effective with the national elections that were held on June 28, 2004. The leader of the majority party in the House of Commons is asked by the Governor General to become Prime Minister and form the government.

Legislation must pass through both Houses and receive Royal Assent before it is enacted. In practice, the House of Commons is by far the more powerful of the two bodies. Only the House of Commons is allowed to introduce legislation dealing with the obtaining or spending of money.

Parliament Hill

Parliament is housed in a complex on Parliament Hill, a very scenic location on the banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, in a Gothic Revival suite of buildings. The best known is the Centre Block, with its prominent Peace Tower, a national symbol. The richly decorated interior of the centre block contains allegorical scenes.

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. Parliament met for the first time in the new building on 8 June 1866.

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 Peace Tower is the most prominent part of the buildings. It replaced the 55-metre Victoria Tower, burned in the 1916 fire; the current tower is 92.2 metres tall. The base of the Peace Tower contains Books of Remembrance listing all of Canada's war dead; a page is ceremoniously turned in each book every day at 11 o'clock. The tower contains an observation gallery offering beautiful views of the city. Its clock is set by the National Research Council of Canada official time signal and is equipped with a 53-bell carillon which gives frequent concerts. Like the entire interior and exterior of the building, the tower is decorated with approximately 370 stone carvings, including gargoyles, grotesques, and friezes.

The entire parliamentary precinct measures 112 360 square metres.

Parliament Hill has also hosted major events. Among them, annual Canada Day celebrations, and the memorial service to honor the victims of the September 11 attacks, which Prime Minister Jean Chretien, Governor General Adrienne Clarkson, and U.S. Ambassador Paul Cellucci presided and over 100,000 attended.