Hall of Honour

Separating the Centre Block into east and west sections, the Hall of Honour serves as the principal ceremonial space and a dividing line between the House of Commons and the Senate.

Photo: © 2001 Library of Parliament

Its beautiful vaulted ceilings and extensive bosses are a magnificent example of High Gothic Revival. Superb craftsmanship can be found throughout the Hall. The ironwork done by the incomparable Paul Beau is most noteworthy. His energetic designs work perfectly beside the decorative Gothic stonework.

The Hall of Honour was intended to commemorate events and individuals with distinctive plaques and sculptures. With only a small group of sculptures at the North end, it has come to be a place of symbolic honour. It pays tribute to the people and traditions of Parliament as well as all those who pass through its noble limestone arches. Cutting through the heart of the building, it links all the elements of Centre Block together.

Photo: © 2001 Library of Parliament

At the end nearest to the Library of Parliament, the Hall of Honour comes closest to its original purpose. A diverse group of sculptures and plaques pays tribute to events and people of Canada's past.

The largest is a memorial to nursing in Canada. Its themes of nurses as early nation-builders and as participants in the First World War are continued in other sculptures. The Canada Remembers carving pays tribute to all Canadians involved in the Second World War and two other works commemorate the efforts of nation building.

As well as part of the route of the House of Commons Speaker's Parade, the Hall of Honour has been the location for several exceptional events. Several Canadians, including former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau and Canada's Unknown Soldier, have lain in state here. The solemnity of its gothic character suits it perfectly to these purposes.

The particular gothic character of the Hall of Honour was achieved in the reconstruction of Centre Block after the 1916 fire when there was a shift from warm and many coloured textures to more muted tones and textures.

The Hall of Honour is also the main thoroughfare of Centre Block: a corridor where librarians cross paths with bustling groups of visitors; where journalists gather to catch up with Parliamentarians, where witnesses spill out of parliamentary committees and where everyone has the chance to symbolically see themselves reflected in the building.