Object Name: Peace Tower (Tour de la paix)
Artist/Maker/Manufacturer/Founder:John Pearson et J. Omer Marchand (Architects)
Material/Medium/Support: Nepean sandstone. Roof is reinforced concrete covered with copper.
Earliest Production Date and Latest Production Date:Production started in 1919 , ended in 1927. Inaugurated on July 1st 1927
Dimension (H x W x D in centimetres): 9220 cm
Institution Name: Public Works and Government Services Canada National Capital Commission
Copyright: Public Works and Heritage Canada
Transcript
Like the red maple leaf flag at its top, the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill is one of the great symbols of Canada.
In 1916, the original parliament buildings were destroyed by fire. This new tower was built soon after the First World War, and was declared a symbol of peace.
The tower is home to a Memorial Chamber that honours all Canadians who have died while fighting for their country. It’s also home to a very special musical instrument: the Dominion Carillon. It’s like a giant organ attached to 53 bells.
Description
National Capital Commission – Peace Tower
Peace Gets a Chance
Even if you’ve never been to Ottawa, you’ve probably seen it. One glimpse of the Peace Tower in a journalist’s television report and you know they’re in Canada’s Capital. The tower stands 92.2 metres tall, a proud sentinel over Canada’s seat of government.
The tower appears on the $20 and $50 bills and on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Presidents and royalty have passed through its doors. Over the years, millions of Canadians have gathered at the foot of the tower for national celebrations and momentous events.
The modern Gothic revival tower, designed by architects John Pearson and Jean Marchand, is the centerpiece of the Parliament Buildings. Its clock is visible from most of downtown Ottawa and across the river in Gatineau — there’s no excuse for being late in this city. High up, four fierce-looking gargoyles direct rainwater away from the stonework. The tower is free-standing — a campanile — housing 53 bells that ring out during recitals, state funerals and Remembrance Day. The flagpole on the copper-covered top has national significance: in 1962, the brand-new Canadian maple leaf flag flew here first.
When dedicating the building site in 1917, Prime Minister Robert Borden stated that it would 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.”
A tower commemorating peace: the name stuck, and was dedicated as such in 1927.
THE ROLE OF ALLEGORY AND REALISM IN REPRESENTING CANADA AND CANADIANS AT WAR AND AT PEACE IN THE STAINED GLASS WINDOWS OF THE MEMORIAL CHAMBER
Emily Kirkman,
M.A., Art History, Concordia University.
The Peace Tower, an architectural landmark of Canada, stands on Parliament Hill in Ottawa as a symbol …
It Was Just A Dream
Tim Power,
2009. Digital photograph. 20.3 x 14cm.
Born in Montreal, Tim Power spent most of his youth in Davis, California and in Ottawa. Currently a …
