Visit the Court

Description of the Virtual Tour

Court Building

This is a 360-degree virtual tour. From the lawn in front of the Court building, the tour begins with a description of the front of the building, from left to right.

In front of the building designed by architect Ernest Cormier, two flagpoles rise majestically, one on either side. The Canadian flag flies permanently from the western staff. The bases of the poles are made of polished granite, and each of them is topped by a bronze arrow-shaped finial. Next to the two granite stairways stand the statues Justicia (or “justice”) and Veritas (or “truth”). These bronze sentinels, each standing on its own pedestal, watch over the doors, which are also made of bronze.

The building’s exterior walls are made primarily of reinforced concrete covered with grey Stanstead granite. The central stairway that gives access to the building splits in two half way up, and each half leads to one of the two doors. The slightly pointed copper roof has become oxidized over the years and is now a pleasant greyish-green. Two massive towers that protrude slightly on either side of the front of the building create an interesting contour.

The Court building is shown here on a sunny summer day, with boxes of flowers at the foot of the stairs, green grass and a blue sky.

An expanse of lawn bordered by trees separates the building from busy Wellington Street and enhances the majesty of the site.