Parliament Hill

캐나다 국회의사당

Parliament Hill is the hill on the south bank of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario, where the Parliament of Canada meets. It holds a group of Gothic Revival buildings, whose design was chosen to recall the history of parliamentary democracy. Its famous tower, the Peace Tower, is 92 metres tall.

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At a glance

Country: Canada
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Built: 1876
Height: 92 m
Type: Government building

Quick answers

Where is Parliament Hill?

Parliament Hill is in Ottawa, Canada.

When was Parliament Hill built?

Parliament Hill was built in 1876.

How tall is Parliament Hill?

Parliament Hill is about 92 m tall.

Gothic Revival parliament buildings on a bluff above the Ottawa River, crowned by the Peace Tower.

About three million people visit Parliament Hill each year. Before it was a government site, the hill was a military base. Queen Victoria chose Ottawa as capital in 1858, and building began in 1859. The Parliament Buildings and the grounds were declared National Historic Sites of Canada in 1976.

From forest to parliament

Parliament Hill is a limestone outcrop that was once covered by beech and hemlock forest. For hundreds of years it was a landmark on the river for First Nations people and later for traders and explorers.

When Ottawa was still called Bytown, the builders of the Rideau Canal put a military base there called Barrack Hill. A call for designs for the parliament buildings went out on 7 May 1859, and 298 drawings were submitted.

Fire and rebuilding

In 1916 a fire destroyed the Centre Block, the main building. Only the Library of Parliament survived. The hill took on its present look when the Peace Tower was completed in 1927.

Since 2002 a big renovation and rehabilitation project has been going on across the buildings. It is expected to be finished after 2028 and to cost about three billion dollars.

Fun facts

The original Centre Block burned down in 1916, but the Library of Parliament survived.
The hill was once called Barrack Hill.
The grounds cover about nine hectares.