Accordions on the Canadian Peace Tower
June 1st 2021
Rita Davidson Barnea, Editor Accordion USA News


Accordions are everywhere. High above the ground, several fantastic stone sculptures decorate the Canadian Parliament building’s 322 foot high Peace Tower. The Peace Tower is a campanile – a freestanding bell tower – dedicated in remembrance of the sacrifice and service of Canadians in the First World War. the Peace Tower is located in Ottawa, Ontario.
Excerpts from Wikipedia: Designed by Jean Omer Marchand and John A. Pearson, the tower is a campanile- a free standing bell tower- whose height reaches 92.2 m (302 ft 6 in),[over which are arranged a multitude of stone carvings, including approximately 370 gargoyles, grotesques, and friezes, keeping with the Victorian High Gothic style of the rest of the parliamentary complex. The walls are of Nepean sandstone and the roof is of reinforced concrete covered with copper.
July 1, 2017 marked the 90th anniversary of the inauguration of the Peace Tower. This neo-gothic structure was the crowning achievement of architect John Andrew Pearson’s reconstruction of the Parliament Building (1916-1927). The Peace Tower is a campanile—a freestanding bell tower—connected to the Centre Block by a covered entryway. It houses a 53-bell carillon, dedicated in remembrance of the sacrifice and service of Canadians in the First World War. Inside the Peace Tower is the Memorial Chamber, a space dedicated to the memory of those who gave their lives in service to Canada.
In a letter written to Prime Minister Mackenzie King shortly before the opening of the Tower, Pearson writes about how the tower would look as visitors approach Parliament Hill:
“In all my thoughts of the tower, peace was dominant. I believe there is a quiet peaceful dignity about it. I somehow bring myself to read it that way—no matter what troubles and worries and differences of opinion take place in the building. I feel that one cannot approach the building up the centre road without experiencing its mute appeal for toleration, moderation, dignity and peace.”
The inauguration of the Peace Tower and its Carillon took place on July 1, 1927, the Diamond Jubilee of Confederation. This major event attracted thousands of spectators to Parliament Hill and was marked by the first national and international radio broadcast in Canada. The broadcast featured speeches by the Governor General and Prime Minister, along with a musical performance by Percival Price, the first Dominion Carillonneur.
The Peace Tower houses a 53-bell carillon, one of the oldest and finest in North America. Each bell is a different size: the smallest weighs 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms) and the largest – which tolls the hour – weighs 22,244 pounds (10,090 kilograms), about the size of three large elephants. The carillon is operated by the Dominion Carillonneur, who sits in a room mid-way up the tower and plays a keyboard connected to each bell clapper.
For more information about the Peace Tower, visit Government of Canada – Explore the Peace Tower.