The Canadian Parliament Building is the American equivalent to the White House, obviously, a very important building for Canadian history. Thus, the building is an important landmark that should be included in one's knowledge of Canadian History. The first building used for parliament was created after the Union Act of 1840 which brought Upper and Lower Canada to form one government. The decision of who would hold power over the government fluctuated often and finally in 1857 the Queen was asked to choose a town for the countries capital. Some of the obvious choices for a capital were Quebec, Montreal, Toronto, and Kingston due to their success and large size. Queen Victoria surprised most Canadians when she chose the unique city of Ottawa. Despite the unexpected decision this city was a good choice for Canada because the city is located further from the border with America and it was a political compromise as well.
The West, Centre, and East blocks were the first to go up for the new building of Parliament which was built between 1859 and 1866, although the Peace Tower and Library were not completed during those dates. In the year 1867 the Confederation in Canada was formed which included Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. These four states formed the new Dominion of Canada. Unfortunately the beginning years of the new Parliament building did have one major mishap. On February 3, 1916 in the Parliamentary Reading room in the Centre block, a small fire was ignited and the fire spread as stacks of newspapers and wood burst into flames as well. This tragedy took seven lives and only left the north-west wing and the library to be saved. Thankfully an employee had closed the Library's iron doors otherwise thousands of books that were irreplaceable would've been lost forever.
This fire was devastating to Canadians but they persevered because they had their hearts set on fixing what had been done. Despite the fact that Canada was fighting in World War I, it was very important to the Canadians to start rebuilding the home of their government. A new structure was designed by John Pearson and Jean Omer Marchand which kept up the original gothic architectural feel of the first Parliament building. The re-building was completed in 1922.
Today the Parliament building is extremely important as it is still the home of Canada's government. Architectural aspects of the building that it is known for are the vaulted ceilings, marble floors, and dramatic light. Another unique aspect to the building is the stone friezes where significant events of Canadian history are displayed. The House of Commons Chamber can also be found in the Parliament building at the west end of the Centre Block. Many important laws and discussions go on in those rooms that shape Canada's government in the past and present. Other special features of the Parliament buildings are the Senate Chamber, library of Parliament, and the Peace Tower. Many tourists and Canadians alike enjoy visiting this amazing landmark. Tours are given to all ages and much can be learned from witnessing where the Canadian government operates.
Sites Used:
http://www.ottawakiosk.com/parliament/p_2.html
http://www.parliamenthill.gc.ca/text/home_e.html