Introduction

No Canadian can stand and look at this cluster of buildings, and let his eye follow the stern shaft of the Peace Tower upward to its ultimate spire, without feeling that somewhere on this Hill, perhaps by a happy accident, architects, masons and stone carvers have managed to grasp and materialize the beauty of Canada, the vastness of its land, its loneliness, its youth, and its hope.

(Bruce Hutchison, 1944)

To most Canadians, "Parliament Hill" is the home of the federal government -where laws are made and major events are celebrated. To the people of the National Capital Region, whether working in or for the federal legislature or simply residing in the area, it has come to be known as "the Hill." More properly, the institutions of the Senate, House of Commons, Library of Parliament and the buildings adjacent to them that house federal government activities are part of what is known as the "Parliamentary Precinct." What precisely does this mean? As the April 2001 report of Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) notes¹ there has never been an 'official' geographic definition for this high profile landmark. The concept of a Parliamentary Precinct has varied according to the purpose and scope of the agency that happened to be defining it. In general the notion encompasses buildings being used by the institutions of Parliament and land and buildings that could be used for such purposes.

The purpose of this report is to offer our views on a future vision that has been proposed for the Parliamentary Precinct. The vision would include all buildings and land north of Wellington Street, east of the Supreme Court (Kent Street) and west of the Rideau Canal locks.

To understand the significance and urgency of actions to preserve these magnificent buildings, we believe that it is important to review their origins and their many uses.

1. A Legacy for Future Generations - The Long-Term Vision and Plan for the Parliamentary Precinct, Public Works and Government Services Canada, April 2001, p. 14.