Edifice
The Supreme Court of Canada Building is home to the Supreme Court of Canada. It also contains two court rooms used by both the Federal Court of Canada and the Federal Court of Appeal. Construction began in 1939, with the cornerstone laid by Queen Elizabeth, consort to King George VI and later Queen Mother. It was designed by Ernest Cormier. The court began hearing cases in the new building by January 1946. The building is renowned for its Art Deco details. In contrast the building's roof utilizes châteauesque styled influence. In 2000, it was named by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada as one of the top 500 buildings produced in Canada during the last millennium.
Two flagstaffs have been erected in front of the building. A flag on one is flown daily, while the other is hoisted only on those days when the court is in session. Also located on the grounds are several statues, notably:
- Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent by Erek Imredy 1976
- Two statues by Canadian sculptor Walter S. Allward:
- Statue of Veritas (Truth)
- Statue of Justitia (Justice)
Inside there are busts of several chief justices:
- John Robert Cartwright
- Bora Laskin
- Brian Dickson
- Joseph Antonio Charles Lamer
They were all sculpted by Kenneth Jarvis, Q.C.
Previous homes of Canada's top courts include:
- Railway Committee Room in the parliament buildings 1876–1889
- Old Supreme Court building on Bank Street 1889–1945
Read more about this topic: Supreme Court Of Canada
Famous quotes containing the word edifice:
“A successful marriage is an edifice that must be rebuilt every day.”
—André Maurois (1885–1967)
“In the zone of perdition where my youth went as if to complete its education, one would have said that the portents of an imminent collapse of the whole edifice of civilization had made an appointment.”
—Guy Debord (b. 1931)
“Bourgeois existence is the regime of private affairs ... and the family is the rotten, dismal edifice in whose closets and crannies the most ignominious instincts are deposited. Mundane life proclaims the total subjugation of eroticism to privacy.”
—Walter Benjamin (1892–1940)