The BOOKS of REMEMBRANCE

The six Books of Remembrance lie in the Memorial Chamber in the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill. Together they commemorate the lives of 114,710 Canadians who lost their lives while serving their country in battle outside Canada since Confederation.

The first one created and the largest of the Books is the First World War Book which contains 66,655 names. This book is followed by the Second World War which contains 44,893 names.

The MEMORIAL CHAMBER

More than half a million visitors each year view Canada's six Books of Remembrance in the Memorial Chamber on the second level of the Peace Tower. The Memorial Chamber is a beautifully crafted room with a vaulted ceiling, stained glass windows and intricate carvings depicting Canada's record of war. The centerpiece of the Chamber is the main altar for the First World War Book. The steps that the altar rests on are made of sone quarried from Flanders Fields. Inlaid into the floor surrounding the steps are brass nameplates, hand crafted from spent shell cases found on the battlefield.

Each book rests in a glass case, open so that the pages are easily readable through the protective glass. Once a day, in a special ceremony, the next page is turned in each book. This way, every page is on view for a full day, once every year.