Canada’s Parliament

Canada is a federation of 10 provinces and 3 territories that share a common federal government. In Parliament, Senators and Members of Parliament work together to represent Canadians from across the country.

Parliament passes laws that affect all Canadians, in areas like foreign policy and national defence. Each province makes its own laws in other domains, such as education and health care.

Read How Canadians Govern Themselves to learn more.
Video: What is Parliament

Canada is also a constitutional monarchy. This means that the Monarch is the Head of State and the Prime Minister is the Head of Government. Bills are created and passed by Parliament and signed into law by the Governor General (the Monarch’s representative in Canada).

There are three parts of Parliament, which all work together to create new laws:

The Monarch

Head of State

Represented in Canada by the Governor General

The Senate

105 seats

Upper Chamber

Appointed

Represents Canada by region

The House of Commons

343 seats

Lower Chamber

Elected

Represents Canada by population

How Laws are Made

Step 1

A bill (proposed law) is introduced in either the Senate or the House of Commons.

Step 2

Parliamentarians debate the bill and vote to decide whether it should be studied further.

Step 3

If the bill passes, it is sent to a committee, which studies it in depth and may suggest changes.

Step 4

The bill goes back for a final debate and vote, based on the committee’s report.

Step 5

If the bill passes the vote, it is sent to the other Chamber, where it goes through the same process.

Step 6

Once the bill has been passed by both Chambers in identical form, it goes to the Governor General for Royal Assent and becomes Canadian law.

Video: How does a bill become law?

The Work of the Senate

The Senate is Parliament’s Upper Chamber.

Senators are appointed by the Governor General, on the advice of the Prime Minister, to represent Canada’s regions, provinces and territories. The Senate’s 105 seats are distributed by region to ensure equal representation across the country.

Senators are Canadians of accomplishment and experience from various professional backgrounds. Senators refine legislation, suggest amendments, introduce bills and debate on current issues.

Much of the Senate’s work is done in committee, where Senators use their expertise and hear from witnesses to study bills.

Read At Work in the Senate to learn more

The Work of the House of Commons

The House of Commons is Parliament’s elected Lower Chamber.

Each of the 343 Members of Parliament (MPs) represents a specific geographic area in Canada, known as a constituency. MPs bring the concerns of the people who elected them to the House of Commons. They spend much of their time debating, voting and participating in committees.

Most MPs belong to a political party. Normally, the leader of the party with the most seats becomes the Prime Minister, and the second-largest party becomes the Official Opposition.

Read At Work in the House of Commons to learn more

The Parliament Buildings

Centre Block and the Library of Parliament

Centre Block is the permanent home of Canada’s Parliament. The heritage building is currently closed for major rehabilitation work to preserve and modernize it for future generations.

The Library of Parliament – also temporarily closed – continues to support the work of parliamentarians at different branches.

Learn more about Centre Block and the Library of Parliament:

The Centre Block building that you see today was constructed between 1916 and 1927. The original Centre Block, built between 1859 and 1876, was destroyed by fire on February 3rd, 1916. Only the Library of Parliament survived the fire.

Centre Block was designed in the Neo-Gothic architectural style. Vaulted fan ceilings, intricate stone and wood carvings, stained glass windows, ironwork and pointed arched windows are all examples of this style and can be seen throughout the building. The First World War was another major influence on the design of the reconstructed Centre Block. The Peace Tower, the Memorial Chamber, Carillon bells and Books of Remembrance are all symbols of peace and commemorate those who lost their lives in military service.

Centre Block is undergoing major rehabilitation work to bring the building up to current building standards while still preserving its heritage character. The building will have its exterior stone cleaned, its copper roof replaced, its communication systems updated, its basement excavated, and the entire building will be made earthquake resistant as well as many other improvements.

The Main Library in Centre Block is also closed during Centre Block’s rehabilitation; however the Library of Parliament continues to offer customized research and analysis, news and information services, publications, guided public tours and other services to parliamentarians and to the public.

The Senate of Canada Building

The Senate of Canada Building is the Senate’s temporary home during Centre Block’s closure. The building is Ottawa’s original train station and was recently rehabilitated and adapted for the work of the Senate.

Learn more about the Senate of Canada Building:

The building was constructed between 1909 and 1912 as Ottawa’s central train station. At its height in the 1950s, there were over 60 arrivals and departures from the station’s 12 lines each day, including 2 transcontinental trains. Members of the royal family, parliamentarians, foreign dignitaries, military members, celebrities, and many other travellers passed through its halls.

The train station and the Château Laurier across the street were designed together as a unit to boost accommodation and travel by rail in Canada. The train station was designed in the Beaux-Arts architectural style with classical design and luxury materials to show wealth, elegance and grandeur. The station closed in 1966 and the building was later converted for government meeting spaces, conferences and events of national and international significance.

As part of the building’s renovation to accommodate the Senate, mechanical and electrical systems were replaced, communication systems were installed, and the building was updated to current building standards. The Senate of Canada building houses the Senate Chamber, three committee rooms, the offices of the Speaker of the Senate, and other support spaces.

To visit the Senate of Canada Building on a guided tour, please reserve your tickets online.

West Block

West Block is the temporary home of the House of Commons during Centre Block’s closure. The building is one of the original constructions on Parliament Hill and was renovated and adapted for the work of the House of Commons.

Learn more about West Block:

Constructed between 1859 and 1865, West Block is one of Parliament Hill’s original buildings. After Confederation in 1867, Canada expanded to include more provinces and territories. Additional offices for parliamentarians and federal government employees were required, resulting in West Block’s expansion and renovation over many years.

West Block was designed in the Neo-Gothic architectural style which was a popular design for public and religious buildings in the British Empire. The style began in the late 18th century and was inspired by medieval buildings, often featuring towers, stone carvings, pointed arched windows, and asymmetrical design. The Mackenzie Tower was added to West Block in 1878.

West Block’s courtyard was recently adapted for the temporary House of Commons Chamber. A new self-supporting glass and steel roof was installed over the courtyard, combining contemporary design with the courtyard’s heritage features. Rehabilitation work included replacing mechanical systems, cleaning exterior stones, installing a new copper roof, and reinforcing the building for earthquakes. West Block now houses the House of Commons Chamber, four committee rooms, the offices of the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Prime Minister’s offices, and other support spaces.

To visit West Block on a guided tour, please reserve your tickets online.

East Block

East Block is one of the original buildings on Parliament Hill and held the office of Canada’s first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald and other important executive offices. Today, the building houses offices for parliamentarians and their staff as well as heritage rooms that can be seen on guided tours.

Learn more about East Block:

Constructed between 1859 and 1865, East Block was the centre of federal decision-making for the country’s first 100 years. In the early years following Confederation, the entire executive branch – including the Governor General, Prime Minister, and Cabinet – and their staff worked out of East Block.

East Block was designed in the Neo-Gothic architectural style, featuring towers, intricate stone carvings, wrought iron, pointed arched windows, and asymmetrical design. East Block’s exterior has changed very little over the years, but its interior has been extensively renovated and updated to support the needs of parliamentarians and to bring the historic building up to current building standards.

The decoration and layout of the heritage rooms reflects the importance of the people who worked in them. Rooms were not assigned randomly, but according to rank and influence. East Block guided tours during the summer months take visitors inside the heritage rooms to explore parliamentary life in the 19th century.

To visit East Block on a guided tour, please reserve your tickets online.