The Parliament Buildings

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

Soaring neo-Gothic arches, stained glass, gargoyles, crystal, ironwork,
gold leaf, heraldic carvings ... Canada’s federal parliament buildings
tower over Ottawa like fairy-tale castles, surreal in their excesses and
absurdities. All of which is captured beautifully by one of North
America’s leading photographers.

Malak’s precise, controlled photography presents us with a tour of
the cupolas, two-tonne chandeliers, thrones, towers, carillon, statues,
and carvings that give the Parliament Buildings their distinct
personality. Although many of the photos are simply excellent,
straight-on illustrations, at times Malak uses his mastery of the art of
photography to bring a sense of majesty, even reverence, to these
architectural circuses. He then moves outside to capture the
refreshingly uncomplicated scenes of tulips, canal skating, and ice
carvings that serve as transition between Parliament and its people.

Bourrie’s introduction, a two-minute history of the buildings’
architectural highlights, is too skimpy to be of value as an information
resource, though it tries valiantly to set a respectful tone.