Province House (Prince Edward Island)

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This article is about the legislative building for Prince Edward Island. See the Province House disambiguation page for other uses of the name.

Province House is Prince Edward Island's provincial legislature and a National Historic Site.

Province House is where the Prince Edward Island Legislature, known as the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island, has met since 1847. The building is Canada's second-oldest seat of government.

[edit] Description

Standing three stories tall, the structure is made with stone quarried in Wallace, Nova Scotia on the opposite shore of the Northumberland Strait. The building is located in downtown Charlottetown between Grafton and Richmond streets and directly in the path of Great George Street - what was once an active street running north from the waterfront. In subsequent years following its construction, the block to its west (bordering Grafton, Queen and Richmond streets) was renamed Queens Square and hosted the city market and other functions. A national memorial to the Fathers of Confederation, the Confederation Centre of the Arts, was built on this location and opened in 1964. The east side of Province House (bordering Grafton, Church and Richmond streets) is occupied by the historic Coles Building, the former court house is now used for legislative offices and is connected to Province House by an underground tunnel.

The area outside Province House is landscaped with an interpretation of Victorian era gardens, as well as several war monuments. The Charlottetown Cenotaph commemorates Islanders who died serving in the First, Second and Korean Wars. The Boer War Cenotaph commemorates Islanders lost in the Second Boer War.

[edit] History

The cornerstone was laid in May 1843 and it opened for the first time in January 1847. The entire structure was built at a cost of £10,000 and was designed and built by Island craftsmen during a time of prosperity for the colony. Its architectural lines include Greek and Roman influences, common to public buildings in North America from this era.

From September 1-7, 1864, Province House played a central role in helping Prince Edward Island host the Charlottetown Conference which saw meetings that led to Canadian Confederation.

In 1973, Parks Canada approached the government of Prince Edward Island with a proposal for joint management and restoration of the structure in recognition of its important role in Canadian history. Under the ensuing agreement, both parties agreed to a 99-year period of joint management. Parks Canada paid for a $3.5 million (CAD) restoration from 1979-1983 which saw part of the building restored to the 1864 period. The provincial legislature occupies one end of the building, whereas the restored Confederation Chamber displays the room where the Charlottetown Conference meetings took place. The building was declared a National Historic Site of Canada in 1983 and sees approximately 100,000 visitors each year.

On April 20, 1995, a powerful pipe bomb exploded beneath a wooden wheelchair ramp on the north side of Province House, destroying glass in windows and causing some minor structural damage. Several passersby were injured and the explosion occurred only 5 minutes after an entire class of school children on a tour of the building had passed through the area. The bombing occurred only 1 day after the Oklahoma City bombing and is considered to be a copycat action. Responsibility was claimed by a group calling itself Loki 7, however a subsequent police investigation and criminal court case laid blame with a single individual, Roger Charles Bell.