kids encyclopedia robot

Parliament Building (Quebec) facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Parliament Building
Hôtel du Parlement
Quebec City (14765614666).jpg
Parliament Building, in Quebec City
General information
Architectural style Second Empire
Address 1045 rue des Parlementaires
Town or city Quebec City, Quebec
Country Canada
Coordinates 46°48′32″N 71°12′51″W / 46.808762°N 71.214178°W / 46.808762; -71.214178
Construction started 1877
Completed 1886
Client Crown in Right of Quebec
Owner Crown in Right of Quebec
Technical details
Size 52 metres or 171 feet in height.
Design and construction
Architect Eugène-Étienne Taché

The Parliament Building (in French, Hôtel du Parlement) is a very important building in Quebec City, Canada. It's where the Parliament of Quebec meets to make laws for the province. This includes the Lieutenant-Governor of Quebec and the members of the National Assembly of Quebec. The building has eight floors and was designed by a famous architect named Eugène-Étienne Taché. It was built a long time ago, between 1877 and 1886. With its tall front tower, the building stands about 52 meters (171 feet) high. You can find it on Parliament Hill, just outside the old walls of Old Quebec. This area is part of the La Cité-Limoilou borough.

Building Style and History

The Parliament Building looks very grand because it uses a style called Second Empire architecture. This style was super popular in the late 1800s, especially in France, where it started, and also in the United States. Even though the building has a balanced design with a clock tower in the middle, which is common for British government buildings, its overall style is quite special among Canadian parliament buildings.

The front of the building, called its façade, is like a history book carved in stone. It features many sculptures that tell the story of Quebec's history. These sculptures show important events and people from the past.

Over the years, more buildings were added around the main Parliament Building to help with government work:

  • Édifice André-Laurendeau was built from 1935 to 1937. It houses the Ministry of Transport.
  • Édifice Honoré-Mercier was added from 1922 to 1925. It holds offices for the Treasury (Finances), the Attorney General, and the Secretary General of the National Assembly.
  • Édifice Jean-Antoine-Panet was built from 1931 to 1932 for the Ministry of Agriculture.
  • Édifice Pamphile-Le May was added from 1910 to 1915. It's home to the Library of the National Assembly and other government offices.
Vieux-Québec–Cap-Blanc–colline Parlementaire (cropped)
A view of the building complex.

Statues of Important Figures

The Parliament Building is surrounded by many statues. The front of the Quebec National Assembly building alone has 22 statues. These sculptures honor important people from Quebec's history. They help remember the leaders, explorers, and other figures who shaped the province.

Images for kids

  • Carte du fort Saint-Louis de Quebec par Franquelin

    A 1683 modelling of the chateau Saint-Louis, the earliest precursor to the Parliament Building

  • Château Saint-Louis gravure

    Chateau Saint-Louis just prior to being destroyed by fire.

  • Terrasse Durham - Chateau Haldimand - place d Armes - 1864

    Chateau Haldimand in 1864

  • Old Parliament Building (Quebec)

    The Old Parliament Building

  • Parlement de Québec par Würtele

    Newly opened Parliament Building, circa 1890

  • Parlement-québec

    Side view of the Parliament Building complex

  • Panet-Laurendeau 01

    Édifice Jean-Antoine-Panet

  • Édifice André-Laurendeau 01

    Entrance to the Édifice André-Laurendeau, one of the four buildings that were later added to the parliamentary complex

  • Hotel du Parlement du Quebec 78

    A detail of the front entrance: V.R. (Victoria Regina) and the year of completion of the detail (1878)

  • Parlement du Québec Armoiries

    Quebec's coat of arms, with "JE ME SOUVIENS" inscribed below, and a commemorative plaque explaining the motto's origin

  • Restaurant Le Parlementaire

    Le Parlementaire restaurant in 2010

  • Quebec City (14765614666)

    Parliament Building before the construction of new entrance, in 2015.

  • Sculptures de Louis-Philippe Hébert

    The Nigog Fisherman

  • Pierre Boucher 01

    Pierre Boucher

  • Parlement quebec monuments

    Jean de Brébeuf and Nicolas Viel

  • Parlement du Québec, 850, Grande Allée Est, Québec façade, aile droite, partie gauche, étage supérieur 11-d.na.civile-72-8348

    Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve (below) and the allegorical statues of Religion and Country (above)

  • Francois de Montmorency Laval

    François de Montmorency

  • Jean-Jacques Olier 02

    Jean-Jacques Olier

  • Jean Talon 01

    Jean Talon

  • Monument en hommage aux femmes en politique 03

    Monument in honor of women in politics

  • Fountain in front of Parlement

    Fountain of the Abenaki in 2009, before renovations

  • Fontaine de Tourny, Quebec 02

    Fountain of Tourny in 2018. Note the construction works in the background.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Edificio del Parlamento de Quebec para niños

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Parliament Building (Quebec) Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.