Centennial Flame

The Centennial Flame burns from the center of a stone fountain on Parliament Hill. Twelve bronze shields ring the fire, representing Canada’s provinces and territories. Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson ignited the flame on New Year's Eve in nineteen sixty-six to mark the country’s one hundredth anniversary of confederation. The natural gas fire stays lit through the freezing Ottawa winters, maintained by a system that keeps the flame centered even when the wind gusts across the plaza toward the Peace Tower.