Canada's Parliament Buildings

On February 3, 1916, near 9 p.m., a small fire started in the original Parliament Building in the Commons Reading Room in the Centre Block. It soon grew to a raging blaze that claimed seven lives and reduced all but the northwest wing and the Library to a charred shell. After the fire, Canada believed strongly that its Parliament needed a permanent home. It began rebuilding the Centre Block while the First World War was still raging. The new structure, designed in the Modern Gothic Revival style by John Pearson and Jean Omer Marchand, was completed by 1922. An important part of the new building, The Peace Tower was finished later in 1927. The Peace Tower was named in commemoration of Canada’s commitment to peace. On the third floor is the Memorial Chamber which was built to honour Canadians who died in the armed conflicts in which Canada has fought since Confederation.