OTTAWA [5] Architectural Tour of Parliament

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Parliament consists of 3 buildings atop Parliament Hill. The Centre Block, the main building with the distinctive Peace Tower, houses the chambers of the House of Commons and the Senate. The historic East Block looks much the way it did at the time of Confederation. Inside are the restored offices of Canada's first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald and other early statesmen. The West Block houses offices for members of parliament and is closed to the public.

The Peace Tower, so named to honour the thousands of Canadian men and women who sacrificed their lives for their country in World War I, stands at the front of the Centre Block. Its walls are made of Nepean sandstone. They rise 92.2 m (302 ft. 6 in.) from the base to the bronze flagpole. The roof is reinforced concrete covered with copper. The Tower contains an observation deck, a clock with four faces 4.8 m (16 ft.) in diameter, a carillon and the Memorial Chamber, honouring Canada's war dead.