Building stones of Canada's Federal Parliament Buildings

The building stones used in the Ottawa Parliament Buildings were mined from numerous quarries in Canada, United States, and several European nations. They were cut, placed and carved according to exacting procedures using the most up-to-date technology of the time. Construction of the rebuilt Centre Block, the focus of this article, was a protracted affair, interrupted by the demands of the 1914-1918 Great War. Exterior stone of the Parliament Bu ildings has endured the ravages of weather, fire, seismic shaking and pollu tion. Recently, great effort and expense have been devoted to the restorati on of the masonry elements of all of the buildings to ensure the continued viability of this National Historic Site. The role of the geologist, critic al in the initial evaluation and selection of the building stone, was large ly ignored until recently. Building restoration of late has also restored t he role of the geologist, with the requirement to understand the complex re actions of the building stone to the environment and its neighbouring mason ry elements, and in the quest to find suitable replacement stone.