Canada's Parliament Buildings

David E. Smith is a professor of political Studies at the University of
Saskatchewan and the author of Building a Province: A History of
Saskatchewan in Documents and The Invisible Crown.

This short book is both a guide and a primer. For the sightseer, it
describes the history, architecture, and decoration of Canada’s
Parliament Buildings; for the visitor to the House of Commons, it offers
a capsule account of legislative proceedings. En route there are
vignettes and guidelike asides: “a hydraulic lift system was installed
in the Speaker’s Chair so that the petite Mme Sauvé could see and be
seen”; the arches of Confederation Hall “symbolize how the central
government and provinces of Canada give support and strength to each
other.”

A chapter on the fire that destroyed the original Centre Block in 1916
and on the building of its replacement offers rare photographs of both
events. The Peace Tower, with carillon and Memorial Chapel, and the
Library of Parliament receive brief attention, as do the East and West
Blocks. An appendix provides short evaluations of each of Canada’s 20
prime ministers.

One mystery the author does not unravel, although two photographs of
the old House of Commons renew the reader’s interest, is why in the
pre-Confederation structure the Speaker’s Chair was located along the
side rather than at the end of the chamber. The orientation of the new
House turned 45 degrees—for what reason?