Ontario: House of Commons Tour -- in FRENCH!

The downside to not planning in advance is sometimes you end up wanting to do something, but it is already booked. This was the case with touring the temporary home for the House of Commons. 

Last summer we toured the Senate in English. Due to an extensive construction project on Parliament Hill both the House of Commons and the Senate have been relocated. The Senate is inside the former beaux art train station. It is magnificent.

The House decided to stay closer to their offices and enclosed a courtyard, then had their furniture moved. It is a creative solution. I wonder how noisy it is when construction work is happening. We toured on August 3, which is a Civic Holiday unique to Ontario. In other words, the lawmakers were not at work.

My French is okay. Having learned French in Belgium where they say septante and nonante instead of soixante-dix and quatre-vinght-dix (yes, classic French turns their numbers into equations: sixty+10=70, and 4x20+10=90), any time a number is spoken I stop to figure it out.

Don just went along for the fun and didn't even try to understand any of it.

Parliament was built in 1865. Those in power sit on one side, those not in power are on the other side. Everything happens in the two state languages of French and English (well, except for this tour which we were told would only be in French unless there was something important to say such as don't take a picture of this). Things can be translated into other languages if requested. Canada has over 50 indigenous languages.

Green is the official color, which is inspired by Britain.

The brass bar at the door is to bar the monarch, or his representative the Governor General, from entering. This is in contrast to the Senate where King Charles is allowed to enter.

The prime minister of Canada is the third in power in Canada, behind the monarch and head of the Senate. I think.

Parliament is responsible for decisions that affect all of Canada, such as international commerce and defense, as opposed to provincial government that focuses on the more local issues of education, etc. Again, I think.

Sammy, our guide, tried to explain how laws are made in Canada. Here is where I gave up trying.

I will say the forty minute tour flew by and I'm glad we went on it, if for no other reason than it gave us a chance to see the temporary quarters.

Conference room

This book, located in the Room of Rembrance,
advances a page every day.
There are books honoring soldiers from every war
Canada has participated in.