Home- About Canada’s Capital
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Canada’s Capital is a place that, in its buildings and memorials, evokes the history and values of the Canadian people. Visitors find here a reflection of who they are as well as an insight into the life of the nation. They leave with a deeper understanding of Canada and Canadians. The symbols are rich and varied, and they highlight many aspects of the Canadian experience:
Canadian Democracy
Parliament Hill and the Peace Tower symbolize Canadian democracy, which has given Canadians one of the freest and most peaceful societies in the world.
Canadian Provinces and Territories
The Centennial Flame has burned on Parliament Hill since 1967 as a symbol of Canadian unity. Provincial and territorial flags fly along the length of Confederation Boulevard and in the Garden of the Provinces and Territories. The work of Canadian artists appears everywhere in the streets and parks of the Capital region.
Canadian Landscape
The architecture of the Canadian Museum of Civilization symbolizes the rolling shapes of the Canadian Shield; the Taiga Garden at the National Gallery of Canada echoes features of the Canadian north; and Gatineau Park is an accessible fragment of Canadian nature on the doorstep of the urban Capital.
Canadians in War and Peace
The National War Memorial (1939) and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (2000) commemorate Canadians who have died in war. More than a million tulips bloom in the Capital region in May, a colourful symbol of Canada’s role in liberating the Netherlands in 1945. The Peacekeeping Monument (1992) honours Canada’s involvement in the United Nations Peacekeeping Force since 1948.
Canadian Heroes
The greatest of Canadians are honoured in the Capital, including modern heroes (such as Terry Fox, who ran halfway across Canada to raise money to fight cancer before he died of the disease in 1981) and those of the past (such as Samuel de Champlain, the French explorer who travelled the Ottawa River in 1613 and founded a nation).
Canadian Achievers
National museums honour the achievements of Canadians.Related links
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