*Location:

   Peace Tower
   Houses of Parliament
   Parliament Hill
   (Wellington Street, opposite Metcalfe)
   Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
   LL: N 45.42477, W 75.69954

Site locator map

*Carillonist:

   Dr. Andrea McCrady,   (C)
     Dominion Carillonneur
   c/o Curatorial Services
   131 Queen Street, Floor 4 80-3
   Ottawa, ON  K1A 0A6
   W: 613-992-3328
   E: carillon@parl.gc.ca

   1927-39 Percival Price  (1901-1985;C)
   1939-75 Robert Donnell  (1910-1986;C)
      (1936-9 Assistant D.C.)
   1975-76 Émilien Allard  (1915-1976;C)
   1977-2008 Gordon Slater   (C)

*Contact:

   Dominion Carillon Library
   c/o Curatorial Services
   131 Queen Street, Floor 4 80-3
   Ottawa, ON  K1A 0A6

*Schedule:

   Currently silent; normally:
   Sep-Jun: most weekdays 1200-1215;
     silent during Holy Week and when the
     Dominion Carillonneur is on leave.
   Jul-Aug: weekdays 1100-1200 except
     Canada Day (1 July)

*Remarks:

   Largest 6 bells below the playing
   cabin, in two levels.
   Cambridge (Westminster) quarters
   from modified G&J drum.
   Playing and practice keyboards
   renovated, and new transmission
   installed, 1982.
   2021: Silent during the restoration of
   the Centre Block of the Parliament
   Buildings, which will include new WCF
   standard keyboard within the existing
   frame, new transmission, and cast iron
   clappers to replace 17 bronze ones;
   new practice keyboard (while preserving
   the old one), Eijsbouts removed 22
   bells to NL for refurbishment.

*Technical data:

   Traditional carillon of 53 bells
   Pitch of heaviest bell is E  in the bass octave
   Keyboard range:     G C   /    G C 29
   Transposition is down 3 semitone(s), i.e., from C to A 
   There is one missing bass semitone
   There is an identical practice console
   The whole instrument was installed in 1927
     with bells made by Gillett & Johnston
   Auxiliary mechanisms: Q4H   
   Tower details: 
     Height of console:                 46 meters above ground
     Height of lowest level of bells:   40 meters above ground
     Height of highest level of bells:  53 meters above ground
     Belfry openness:  45%
   Year of latest technical information source is 1967

The elegant new carillon Website is very extensive.

The official website for the carillon including a daily recital programme.
The Parliament Photo Gallery offers a few pictures of the tower.
The Library of Parliament has a concise page on the Parliament Buildings with a tower photo.

Programs and playlists are posted here.

A background article for the Canadian Senate explains the origin of the Peace Tower Carillon, and includes historic photos.

History of the carillon, with video (6:06) and historical photos; with additional related pages about various aspects of the carillon; in English or French.

News article on appointment of Andrea McCrady as Dominion Carillonneur

News article on Andrea McCrady becoming Dominion Carillonneur

A peace carillon page has photos and additional information.

A Waymarking page for these bells has 70 photos, mostly of the tower.

A commercial tour page offers more informal photos.

A page of photographs by Robert R. Williams (all clickable for enlarged versions); this site also has a dramatic evening illumination.

Where this work lies in the sequence of output of the Gillett & Johnston bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.

Ranking among all North American traditional carillons by weight.
Ranking among all North American traditional carillons by size (number of bells).
Ranking among all North American concert class carillons by year of completion.

Other grand carillons with similar keyboard ranges.

The five bass bells of this carillon are among all great bells in North America.

Index to all traditional carillons in ON.

Index to all peace carillons worldwide.

Index to all tower bell instruments in ON.

   This page was built from the database on  2-Mar-25
   based on textual data last updated on 2025/01/31
   and on technical data last updated on 2020/04/15