The Origin of Life in Canada carvings are found along the spandrels (shoulders of the archways) of the public galleries for the House of Commons. These intricate carvings depict Canada’s pre-history and include images of trilobites (fossilized insects with a snail-shaped shell), dragonflies, and primitive fish, leading up to mammilian and human life.

Eleanor Milne’s belief in doing careful research led her to contact Canada’s foremost paleontologists who were enthusiastic about recording Canada’s fossil organisms. Milne created the designs, and Maurice Joanisse carried out the carving. The project was begun in 1986, and by 1990, all fourteen stones were finished, showing the evolution of life in Canada from its pre-historical origins to the era in which human beings made their first appearance.