The West Block, seen from the Portage Bridge

The West Block (French: Édifice de l'Ouest) is one of the three main buildings on Parliament Hill, Ottawa, Ontario, serving the Parliament of Canada. Parliament Hill (colloquially The Hill, French Colline du Parlement) is a scenic location on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa (ˈɒtəwə or sometimes /ˈɒtəwɑː/ is the Capital of Canada and the country's fourth largest municipality. Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec The Parliament of Canada (Parlement du Canada is Canada 's legislative branch, seated at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario. The West Block is not open to the public.

Situated on the western side of the main quadrangle on the Hill, the building was originally opened in 1865. Year 1865 ( MDCCCLXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year At first it contained offices for various government departments; it now contains office space for ministers and MPs, as well as meeting rooms. Extensions were added in 1878 (the Mackenzie Wing and Tower) and 1906 (the Laurier Tower and Link).

Previously renovated in the early 1960s, the West Block is currently undergoing renovations of its utility systems, windows, and roofs, as well as asbestos removal. Asbestos is a group of Minerals with long thin fibrous Crystals The word "asbestos" (῾ἀσβεστος is derived from a Greek adjective

For renovations on the Centre Block scheduled to begin in 2012, the courtyards of the West and East Block will be roofed over and converted into temporary chambers for the House of Commons and Senate. The Centre Block is the main building of the three on Parliament Hill in Ottawa Ontario. The East Block (French Édifice de l'Est) is one of the three main buildings on Parliament Hill, Ottawa, Ontario. The House of Commons (Chambre des communes is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign (represented by the Governor General) and The Senate of Canada (Le Sénat du Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the sovereign (represented by the governor general

An image of the West Block is featured on the Canadian five-dollar bill. The Canadian five-dollar bill is currently the lowest denomination banknote issued by the Bank of Canada

External links

• Explore the Hill - West Block (Parliament of Canada)