The Centennial Flame

At one second past midnight on January 1, 1967, Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson launched Canada’s Centennial by lighting, for the first time, the Centennial Flame, informally known as the “eternal flame.”

The shields surrounding the flame correspond to the years when each province or territory joined Confederation, and the water from the fountain symbolizes Canada’s unity from sea to sea. An Act passed by Parliament in 1991 ensures that all the coins thrown into the fountain go to fund research by and about Canadians with disabilities.