What happened to the Centre Block of the Parliament Buildings in 1916?
- It was bombed during the war
- It was destroyed by fire and rebuilt
- It was moved to Kingston
- It was opened to the public for the first time
Answer: It was destroyed by fire and rebuilt
An accidental fire destroyed the Centre Block in 1916, so it was not a bombing. The Centre Block was rebuilt in 1922, and the Library is the only part of the original building still standing.
Learn more: The Parliament Buildings
- The Parliament Buildings were completed in the 1860s in the Gothic Revival style.
- The Centre Block was destroyed by an accidental fire in 1916 and rebuilt in 1922.
- The Library is the only part of the original building still standing.
- The Peace Tower was completed in 1927 in memory of the First World War.
- The Memorial Chamber in the Peace Tower holds the Books of Remembrance.
- The Books of Remembrance list the soldiers, sailors and airmen who died serving Canada in wars or on duty.
- Quebec’s National Assembly is in the French Second Empire style.
- Other provincial legislatures are Baroque, Romanesque and neoclassical, reflecting the Greco-Roman heritage of Western civilization, where democracy began.