Peace Tower Clock

Time passes, but certain key features of Parliament Hill remain unchanged. The clock in the Peace Tower, presented to Canada by the government of the United Kingdom to mark the 60th anniversary of Confederation, has been ticking in the heart of our capital since 1927. The original timekeeping mechanism built by British clockmakers no longer works and has since been replaced. The original mechanism is now exhibited inside a glass case in the observation area of the Peace Tower, visible to the public as they emerge from the elevator.

The clock faces have particular aesthetic value. They were assembled with great care and precision. The metal and glass faces are constructed of bronze segments bolted together. The glass sections, slotted into the frame, are held in place by small bronze angles and bedded in putty. The hands are made of riveted aluminum.

The clock faces are driven by an electric motor. The master clock that controls the electric motor driving the hands is located on the fifth floor of the Peace Tower. This master clock is set according to the time of the atomic clock at the National Research Council in Ottawa.

Did you know that the clock mechanism cannot be set back? As a consequence, when the clock is set back in the fall, a PWGSC employee stops the mechanism, located on the fifth floor of the Tower, and reactivates it an hour later. This time change is usually accomplished during the night.

To put the clock forward in the spring, all that needs to be done is to move the hand of the master clock on the fifth floor. When this is done, the timekeeping and chime mechanisms must be disconnected so that the chimes, set to sound every 15 minutes, do not ring during the process.