Victoria Tower (Canada) facts for kids

Original Canadian parliament buildings c. 1870, showing Victoria Tower

The Victoria Tower was a very important bell tower. It stood tall on top of the original Centre Block building in Ottawa, Canada. This building is where Canada's Parliament meets. The tower was about 55 meters (180 feet) high. It was a main part of Parliament Hill, built between 1859 and 1866. A man named Thomas Fuller designed it.

Sadly, the Victoria Tower was destroyed. This happened during a huge fire on February 3, 1916. The fire burned down much of the Centre Block. A new tower, called the Peace Tower, was built in its place. It stands in the same spot today. The Peace Tower looks different and is taller. It has a bigger clock and a more detailed design. The original Victoria Tower looked a bit like the tower on the Parliament Building in Quebec.

Inside the Tower

Section drawing of the Victoria Tower and original Centre Block

Inside the Victoria Tower, there was an empty space. Many staircases led up to where the bells were kept. In the very top part, a spiral staircase went even higher. This staircase led to the spire, which was the pointy top part of the tower. It also led to the actual bells and their supports. You could get into the tower from the second floor of the Centre Block. The ground floor of the tower was open space. It formed the main entrance to the Centre Block building.

The Victoria Tower Bell

Damaged bell mounted on grounds of Parliament Hill

The Victoria Tower Bell is the only part of the tower that still exists. It was made in 1875 and put into the tower in 1877. When the Centre Block caught fire in 1916, the bell fell from the tower. The outer walls of the tower survived the fire. But the upper part where the bell was collapsed on February 3. The rest of the damaged tower was taken down when the Centre Block was rebuilt.

The bell was fixed up in the year 2000. Now, it sits on the grounds of Parliament Hill. It is a special monument. It reminds everyone of the 1916 fire. It also honors Canada's first Parliament building. The bell sits on a round granite base. This base looks like a clock face. This shows how the bell helped keep time. The bell is tilted, just like it landed after falling during the fire.