The Peace Tower on Parliament Hill, Ottawa

The Peace Tower (Tour de la Paix) is the central bell and clock tower of Canada's Parliament Buildings on Parliament Hill, Ottawa. It is not a separate building.

Origin of the Name

• Replaced the Victoria Tower (burned in the 1916 Centre Block fire).
• Named Peace Tower to commemorate the end of World War I (Armistice, November 11, 1918) and honor the 66,000+ Canadians who died.
• Cornerstone laid by Governor General Lord Byng, September 1, 1919.
• Completed 1927 (Diamond Jubilee of Confederation).

Features

• Height: 92.2 m (302 ft) — tallest structure in Ottawa (by policy).
• Carillon: 53 bells (10,000+ kg); recitals daily.
• Clock: Four faces, 4.6 m diameter; synchronized to NRC atomic clock.
• Memorial Chamber: Level 2 — Books of Remembrance (7 books, 118,000+ names); altar from Flanders stone; stained glass by Hollister.
• Observation Deck: Just below clock — 360° views of Capital Region.

Symbolism

The tower embodies remembrance, democracy, and national unity. It appears on the Canadian $20 bill (2012 series) and the $1 coin (1988–2012).