Democratic duty and impact of war imbued chief architect’s design for Parliament Building

John Andrew Pearson began working on the Parliament Building in 1916 after winning a contract to assess the feasibility of rebuilding it after the fire. Rather than rebuild, he and fellow architect Joseph-Omer Marchand, of Montreal, proposed a new building and the pair won the contract for that, too.

A drawing of the Peace Tower, left, by John Andrew Pearson, who is pictured in 1930. As Parliament's chief architect, Pearson stressed the importance of Parliamentarians’ work by ensuring that his artisans imbued the structural materials, decorative objects, and even the furniture with this weighty message, writes Johanna MizgalaPhotographs courtesy of the House of Commons

Opinion

BY JOHANNA MIZGALA

June 20, 2022

When Parliamentarians walk through the Parliament Building, everything they see serves to remind them that they must live up to the expectations of the Canadians they represent. The building’s architect, John Andrew Pearson, designed it to underline the importance and responsibility of Parliament...

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