In 1857,
Queen Victoria selected Ottawa as the new Capital of the Province of Canada. The East, Centre and West Blocks of the
Parliament buildings were constructed before Confederation in 1967. In 1916 a fire destroyed much of the building. Even as World War I was being fought, the Parliament buildings had to be replaced. After John Pearson and Jean Omer Marchand designed the new
Gothic Revival building, it was finished in 1922.
The Peace Tower was completed in 1927. This structure is decked with strange gargoyles, one of which is seen below. Its clock was a gift from the United Kingdom and the carillons, based on centuries-old instruments from the Netherlands and Belgium, has 53 bells and weighs 54 tons.
