What is Parliament Hill in Canadian culture?

Parliament Hill is the seat of the federal government of Canada, located on a limestone promontory above the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa. The site has hosted Canadian government since the colonial Province of Canada moved its capital here in 1865, and Queen Victoria personally chose Ottawa as the location two years earlier in December 1857. The current Centre Block, including the iconic Peace Tower, opened in 1927 to replace the original 1866 structure that burned in February 1916.

The Hill comprises three Gothic Revival buildings: the Centre Block housing the House of Commons and the Senate, the East Block, and the West Block. The Peace Tower stands 92.2 metres tall, with a 53-bell carillon installed in 1927, an observation deck open to the public, and the Memorial Chamber dedicated to Canadians who died in war. The Centennial Flame at the front of the Hill was lit on January 1, 1967 to mark Canada's hundredth birthday and burns continuously.

Parliament Hill is the gathering place for the country's most important national ceremonies: the Canada Day celebration on July 1, the Remembrance Day observance at the National War Memorial across Confederation Square on November 11, the daily Changing of the Guard from late June to late August, and the swearing-in of new Cabinets at Rideau Hall nearby.

The Centre Block closed in 2018 for a major rehabilitation expected to last until at least 2030, and Parliament currently meets in the West Block (House of Commons) and the Senate of Canada Building, the former Government Conference Centre. The Hill remains open to visitors, and free guided tours of the working chambers are offered year-round.