A flame was ignited at the stroke of midnight on Jan. 1, 1967, 100 years after New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec, and Ontario came together to become the Dominion of Canada. Like an orange-hued sun, it dances to this day on Parliament Hill.
The Centennial Flame was lit by former prime minister Lester B. Pearson to inaugurate Canada’s 100th anniversary as a country. Advocates convinced the government to make the fountain a permanent fixture on the Hill, revoking the original 1967 plan to remove it at the end of the year.
The National Capital Commission calls it “a symbolic guide for the country.” Located between the Queen’s Gates and the Peace Tower, the Centennial Flame monument stands as the country’s shining, guiding light uniting us “from sea to sea.”
The structure is divided into 12 segments, representing each province and territory that had joined Confederation up until 1967 (Nunavut excluded), with their bronze coat of arms, year of entry and provincial flower carved into the granite base.
Every day visitors of all stripes, from every corner of Canada, in strollers and wheelchairs encircle the monument. They throw pennies and nickels into the fountain, evidence of coins glinting on the provincial crests.
Since an Act of Parliament in 1991, the money has been collected to fund research by and about Canadians with disabilities; the annual Centennial Flame Research Award Fund is in the $4,000 range.
The flame itself is fuelled by Alberta natural gas running through a jet under the metal dome. In the spring and the fall every year, it is extinguished for one week. Every now and then, the flame flickers out, only to be relit by Hill staff or passers-by.