British Columbia Parliament Buildings - Victoria, BC - Capitol Buildings on Waymarking.com

The building was designed by an English architect named Francis Mawson Rattenbury. He was chosen after a year long competition in March 1892. He was only 25 at the time and up until that point had only some small commercial buildings and a few houses in his design portfolio.
Construction started in 1893 and as much local materials as possible was used to try and stimulate a stagnate economy. Even back then there were government make work projects. Granite for the foundations came from Nelson Island. The stone for the facade came from Haddington Island.
When construction began, the total cost was not to exceed $600,000. Once the commission was completed four years later, amid much controversy and argument, the total cost came to $923,882.30. An overrun of $300,000+ a lot of money even by today's average taxpayer's standards but which would have been huge for the government back then. It was a deal though even with the cost overrun because if this building was built today it is estimated to be at least $500 Million to replace.
Although B.C.’s new Parliament Buildings were completed in late 1897, the opening was delayed to coincide with that of the Legislative Assembly. Lieutenant Governor T.R. McInnes formally opened the buildings on February 10, 1898. Not withstanding the cost overruns, Rattenbury would go on and design additions to the structure, including the magnificent library, with its elegant marble-paneled rotunda. He would later design the Empress hotel which sits nearby these fabulous buildings.
The buildings are as much as the base for the Provincial Government as they have become a tourist attraction too. The building is lit at night with 3300 light bulbs. (Changed to compact fluorescent from incandescent a couple of years ago)

Type of Capitol: State, Province, Canton, or Other Primary Division of a Nation Address: 500 block Belleville Street Victoria , BC Canada V8V 1X4 Dates of Construction: 1893 to 1897 Major Renovations: 1972 to 1982 For a cost of $80 Million Hours: Monday to Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Capitol Web Site: [Web Link] Historical Monuments/Memorials: A large statue of Queen Victoria is on the front lawn. A statue of a soldier to commemorate the province's World War I, World War II and Korean War dead is located near the corner of Belleville Street and Government Street. A gold statue of Captain George Vancouver is on top of the central dome of the building.

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