Queen Victoria chose Ottawa as the capital in 1858 and the three magnificent Gothic Revival buildings that house the Canadian government at Parliament Hill on Wellington Street at the foot of Metcalfe Street were built between 1859 and 1866. The Centre Block has been rebuilt after a spectacular fire in 1916 literally blew its green copper roof off. The splendor of the buildings carries the park - there are no showy gardens, just grassy lawns. As you walk your dog around the grounds look for 15 statues of persons who have shaped the country