The Canadian Parliament building’s clock tower, located in Ottawa, Ontario might not be well known, but it is probably the most prominent Canadian clock tower.
The story of the Parliament building goes back to 1857, when Canada was still a colony controlled directly by the British Empire. Canada had been under part of British control since 1763, when France ceded Canada to England through the Treaty of Paris.
Victoria, as Queen of the United Kingdom, ruled Canada from across the sea, in fact Queen Elizabeth II is still Canada’s head of state. As such, in 1857, Queen Victoria chose Ottawa to be Canada’s new capital. Specifically, an area that was used as living quarters for the Royal Engineers constructing the Rideau Canal – ‘Barrack Hill’. Barrack Hill would be where the federal buildings would be constructed. Ottawa was chosen because it was located in an ideal geographic location –between Montréal and Toronto; along the border of Ontario and Québec.
By 1859, a design competition was underway. This competition was used to filter suitable architects for the design of Canada’s new headquarters.
As the competition persisted, two dominant styles were emerging: Neoclassical, which was linked with American republicanism at the time, and Gothic Revival, which was a style that was used on the British Parliament in London. We previously covered the British Parliament and Big Ben.
Through rigorous discussion, Gothic Revival style was chosen because it best represented parliamentary democracy at the time, which was for the British Empire to project. Just decades prior they had passed the Reform Act of 1832, which many viewed as a historic chapter in the development of democracy in Britain.
The design for the Centre Block was given to Thomas Fuller and Chilion Jones in 1859. By 1863, it was reworked by Fuller and Charles Baillarge.
Now, by 1866, many other buildings that would equip Canada’s Parliament and infrastructure were in place to move departments from Québec to Canada’s new capital in Ottawa. This was getting the grounds ready for what was to come.
The Parliament Buildings officially opened on June 6, 1866. And on July 1st, 1867, the Canadian colonies were united to form the Dominion of Canada through the passage of the British North America Act.
Following Canada’s confederation, those provinces that united were no longer individual colonies, but a British dominion. Canada was now free to decide its own laws and representation, gain financial independence, and now to defend itself.
Canada’s original parliament buildings, officially opened in 1866 / Credit: Canadian Geographic
When Did Canada’s Parliament Buildings Burn Down?
On February 3rd, 1916 a fire started in the House of Commons reading room in the evening. By the morning, the fire had ravaged through the entire building, destroying most of the original structure. The only things remaining were the building’s exterior walls and the Library of Parliament.
February 3rd, 1916. Canada’s Parliament on fire / Credit: RCI
Architects John A. Pearson and Jean-Omer Marchand were commissioned to start designing and rebuilding the buildings immediately. They had decided to go with a style like the original Gothic Revival. While respecting the original design, a major new factor was that it would ‘belong’ in the 20th century and be based on commemorating Canada’s wartime experience.
The new Centre block was a memorial to Canadians who fought in World War 1, this design exhibited a stronger feeling of Canada’s nationality. There are many reminders throughout the new building of Canada’s wartime efforts, an example being an engravement on the west wall regarding Vimy Ridge. Vimy Ridge was an essential inflection point in WWI as its capture by the Canadians allowed the British to advance south. This was also the first time all four Canadian divisions attacked together, with men from all regions of Canada battling together successfully – quite the accomplishment for the young country. Brigadier-General A.E. Ross declared after the war, “In those few minutes I witnessed the birth of a nation,” in reference to the Canadian’s camaraderie in the Battle of Vimy Ridge.
This new sense Canadian identity is evident throughout the new parliament buildings, which features symbolic carvings using materials sourced from the East Coast all the way to West Coast. This is a key feature that differentiated it from the initial building, it was Canada realizing its unique ‘Canadian’ identity.
The Peace Tower was finished in 1927.
The Peace Tower, photographed in 1935 / Credit: Our Commons
The Peace Tower’s Clock
There are four clock faces in total on the Peace Tower, which is a dominant feature on Parliament Hill. The Peace Tower has a height of 98 metres, which overlooks much of Ottawa, the Ottawa River, and even across the provincial border into Gatineau, Québec. The Peace Tower is a widely recognized symbol of Canada.
The Peace Tower overlooking the Ottawa River / Credit: Canada Government
In 1927, the Peace Tower clock was given to Canada by the United Kingdom. It is important to note that Canada was still under British rule at that time – it wasn’t until 1931 that England gave Canada full legal freedom and equal standing with England through the statute of Westminster. The Peace Tower clock gift in 1927 marked the 60th anniversary of Canadian Confederation. The gifted clock no longer works but can be viewed on display from the Tower’s observation deck.
The hour and minute hands on the current clock now operate by an electric motor…The quartz of the clock tower world? This clock is kept accurate by the National Research Council's atomic clock in Ottawa.
Canada’s current clock on the Peace Tower / Credit: Wiki Media
How Did the Peace Tower Get Its Name?
The Canadian Parliament buildings complex consists of three buildings, the centre block, and the east and west blocks. The centre block houses Parliament and adjoins the Peace Tower and the Library of Parliament.
The reason for this name is to showcase that Canada values harmony in times of both peace and conflict.
After a fire burnt down the original parliament building in 1916, a new parliament building had started construction while WWI was still ravaging on, this new tower was constructed in partly to be a symbolic moniker of Canada, hence the name ‘Peace Tower’. Canadian Prime Minister Robert Borden was quoted saying “[The tower will be a] memorial to the debt of our forefathers and to the valour of those Canadians who, in the Great War, fought for the liberties of Canada, of the Empire, and of humanity.”
The Peace Tower is a symbol of Canada’s identity – and a beautiful one at that.
The Peace Tower / Credit: City News
By: Eric Mulder
Read more:
Blakemore, Erin. “Canada's Long, Gradual Road to Independence.” History.com, https://www.history.com/news/canada-independence-from-britain-france-war-of-1812#:~:text=As%20a%20British%20dominion%2C%20the,the%20responsibility%20to%20defend%20itself.&text=However%2C%20it%20was%20still%20under,not%20have%20full%20legal%20autonomy.
Gowans, Alan. “Parliament Buildings.” Encyclopedia Britannia, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Parliament-Building-Ottawa-Ontario.
Dahl, Robert A. “Democracy.” Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/topic/democracy/England.
Cook, Tim. “The Battle of Vimy Ridge 9-12 April 2017.” War Museum, https://www.warmuseum.ca/the-battle-of-vimy-ridge/.
“Explore the Peace Tower.” Government of Canada, https://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/citeparlementaire-parliamentaryprecinct/decouvrez-discover/paix-peace-eng.html.
“Canada’s Capital Treasures.” Canadian Heritage, https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/pch/documents/services/teacher-resources/remembrance/lesson2-eng.pdf.