Restoring the Queen’s Gates
A team of skilled heritage experts recently restored the Queen’s Gates, bringing back their original detail and beauty. Their work ensures these historic gates continue to stand proudly as part of Canada’s story for generations to come.
Restoration project
A heritage metal restoration team removed the gates and restored them in Montréal.
The Queen’s Gates were restored and returned to the entrance of Parliament Hill in 2025. (Click to view enlarged image.)
The restoration team disassembled the gates, removed old paint and rust, and carefully restored the original decorative elements. A skilled artisan blacksmith repaired and straightened the wrought iron components. He recreated missing or damaged elements, such as leaves, tendrils and floral details. The gates were then reassembled and repainted.
Exposure to the elements and salts eroded the gates, as seen in this photo taken before the project began. As part of the project, the heritage metal restoration team removed the old paint and corrosion. (Click to view enlarged image.)
The artisan blacksmith used wrought iron to recreate badly damaged decorative elements. (Click to view enlarged image.)
Once restored, the renovation team returned the Queen’s Gates to their rightful place on Parliament Hill. (Click to view enlarged image.)
About the Queen’s Gates
Made in 1872 and installed in 1876, the Queen’s Gates have stood as the main ceremonial entrance to Parliament Hill for nearly 150 years.
The design was so admired that the gates were displayed at the 1876 American Centennial Exposition. For generations, the gates have welcomed visitors to the heart of Canadian democracy.
The Queen’s Gates:
- were named to recognize Queen Victoria, the reigning monarch of the time
- were designed by Canadian architect Frederick J. Alexander in the High Victorian Gothic style
- are located at Wellington Street and Metcalfe Street in Ottawa, Ontario
- feature 3-tiered wrought-iron main gates with arches bounded on either side by a stone pier
- weigh approximately 900 kilograms (almost 2,000 pounds)
Visit the Queen’s Gates
The Queen’s Gates have been reinstalled at the main entrance to Parliament Hill (at the intersection of Wellington and Metcalfe streets in Ottawa) where they can be viewed at any time. Their ironwork and stone piers remain a prominent part of the landscape, marking the formal entrance to the Parliamentary Precinct.