Coming immediately after the destruction of the parliament buildings by fire in 1916, the Peace Tower's conception coincided with the end of the First World War. With this in mind, Prime Minister Robert Borden dedicated the site of the tower on 1 July 1917, with the words: "tower will be a memorial to the debt of our forefathers and to the valour of those Canadians who, in the Great War, fought for the liberties of Canada, of the Empire, and of humanity." Two years later, the Peace Tower's cornerstone was laid by Prince Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII), during his wider royal tour of Canada on September 1, 1919, and the structure was topped out in 1922.