Memorial Chamber

Going up the Peace Tower ends in a visit to the Memorial Chamber, one of the focal points of Centre Block. Before going in, one has views of Confederation Hall and its distinctive architecture from above.

Outside the main entrance to both the elevator and the Chamber itself, the carvings on the walls caught my eye.

The Chamber itself is contained beyond where you take the elevator. Inside, elaborate carvings and stained glass windows rise up around the visitor. Books of remembrance are contained in cases around the room, with their pages turned on schedule so that each page is visible at least once a year. The books commemorate war dead from both World Wars, the Korean War, and other deaths in military service. This room is sacred space, the very heart of the Centre Block that rose up out of the ashes of the First World War, and deliberately designed as a tribute to those who fell in battle and those who came back. I have more views from here tomorrow.

Tower Vantages

With the formal tour over, I got a chance to head up to the viewing platform in the Peace Tower. This view looks off to the east, with the National Gallery and Major's Hill Park prominent. The wooded area you see in the distance is the property around Rideau Hall.

Looking southeast takes in the Connaught Building, the Chateau Laurier, and the Government Conference Centre across the Canal, and the East Block in the foreground.

I looked down upon the skating rink out on the lawn of the Hill, where people were on the ice. The windows here and on the west side had a slightly foggy look- the deep cold of that day had that effect on the glass.

A view to the southwest takes in the West Block.

A panel here has some information on the Tower.

These are views to the west, where much of the Ottawa River is frozen over. A channel of it does tend to stay open through the winter, coming downstream from the Chaudiere Falls. The Supreme Court can be seen along the bluff west of the Parliamentary district.

I finish with a view to the north towards Gatineau. The Library of Parliament is in the foreground. Tomorrow I'll show you the Memorial Chamber.

Red Chamber

Like the House of Commons, there is a space between the Senate itself and its main foyer area. In this space, the bust of a First Nations chief is found. So too is a bust of a woman.

As Canada's Parliament follows the traditions of Britain's Westminster system, the Senate colour scheme is red, a nod to the example of the British House of Lords. Senators are appointed by the government of the day as opposed to being elected. There are fewer Senators- 105 of them- compared to the 338 Members of Parliament. The speech from the throne, given at the start of a Parliamentary session, is done from here by the Governor General, sitting at the far end of the chamber where a bust of Queen Victoria can be glimpsed above the chairs. The rest of the time, the Speaker of The Senate presides over proceedings. While the tour group was in here, the present Speaker, George Furey, came in and wished everyone a happy new year. 

The details of the woodwork and architecture here are remarkable. The art adorning the walls is war art, depicting scenes from the First World War.

Senate Foyer

Coming out of the Library of Parliament and back into the Hall Of Honour, our guide, Nick, spoke about some of the details and contrasts between the library being part of the original Centre Block- built out of optimism- and the second Centre Block- built in the aftermath of the First World War, its tone more sombre. I photographed some of the details in the corridor before we moved on.

The next destination was the Senate foyer hall. This is the overhead ceiling, with crests and symbols adorning it. Words are among them as well- the surnames of those Senate Speakers that preceded the building of the new Centre Block. The corridors leading up here included portraits of the Senate Speakers since Confederation.

The walls around this hall include royal portraits, kings and queens, with their consorts visible in the upper levels. King Edward VII and King George V are side by side here.

Queen Victoria is to their left. Her portrait was among those items saved during the 1916 fire.

Across the space are portraits of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II side by side.

I liked the architecture of the nearby staircase, which leads to an outside entrance on the east side of Centre Block. Tomorrow we'll have a look at the Senate chamber.

Magnificent

The Library of Parliament is housed in what I think is the most beautiful space in the city. This is the main quarters for the Library, which has annexes in other spots through the National Capital Region. The staff here work with members of parliament and their staff extensively. The structure is the only part of the original Centre Block still standing. On the night of the 1916 fire, a clerk saved it by closing the heavy iron doors before evacuating, protecting it from the blaze. A statue of a young Queen Victoria is at the heart of the chamber. You might notice people working in here if you look closely- our guide spoke at length before and after we were in here, and asked us for silence while we were inside so that the staff themselves were not disrupted. Actually, the space itself tends to awe you into silence.

Commons

This is one of the entrances heading from the Commons foyer into the space between here and the House of Commons.

Tours go into that space, where you can get views into the House itself. Like the British Parliament, our House of Commons takes green as its decorative motif. The government party sits on the left here, with the opposition parties on the right.

The Speaker of the House sits at the far end, overseeing what can often get argumentative. Public galleries are above the Commons. The Prime Minister sits with his party in the front row, about two thirds of the way down from here. Proceedings are done in English and French, with translators at work transmitting to those MPs who aren't bilingual, something that repeats itself in the Senate.

The tour moved off from here, heading down the Hall Of Honour towards the Library of Parliament. I took opportunities to photograph the particular details as I walked along.