Many people say that the Library of Parliament in Ottawa is Canada’s most beautiful room. It took seventeen years to build (1859-1876), and it cost $301,000, which was a great amount of money at the time. One reason why it was so expensive is that the builders found they could not construct the roof here in Canada. It was made quickly in England and then shipped all the way to Ottawa. Another reason for the high cost is that the library is beautifully decorated, both inside and outside. The main floor is made of three different kinds of wood. Some of the floors are made of glass to keep light in areas near the books. The wood-paneled walls and bookcases are decorated with flowers and faces. In the centre is a large statue of Queen Victoria, who was the Queen when Canada became a country in 1867.

The library survived the great fire of 1916 that burnt the rest of the Centre Block. In 1952, another fire started in the top of the roof. This one was not serious, but it caused a lot of smoke and water damage to the building and the books. By the 1980s, the library was in such bad condition that the librarians had to cover the books with plastic when it rained. The walls were falling down and the beautiful floor was so old and worn it could not be repaired any more.

A renovation project began in 2002. 147 windows were fixed, three new roofs were built, and three new basement levels were added underneath the building to hold the growing number of books. The electrical and heating systems were modernized. 213 metric tonnes of grout were added to the walls to keep them strong. It took four years and $136 million to make the library look as beautiful as it did in 1876. $136 million? No wonder the Library of Parliament is a beautiful room!!