Embassy of Canada, Washington, D.C.
| Embassy of Canada in Washington, D.C. | |
|---|---|
Arthur Erickson's combination of modernism and neoclassicism evokes I.M. Pei's design for the National Gallery of Art's East Building across Pennsylvania Avenue.
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| Coordinates | 38°53′35″N 77°1′6″W / 38.89306°N 77.01833°WCoordinates: 38°53′35″N 77°1′6″W / 38.89306°N 77.01833°W |
| Location | Washington, D.C. 20001 |
| Address | 501 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW |
| Ambassador | David MacNaughton |
| Website | Official website |
The Embassy of Canada in Washington, D.C. (French: Ambassade du Canada à Washington) is Canada's main diplomatic mission to the United States. The embassy building is at 501 Pennsylvania Avenue, Northwest, Washington, D.C. between the Capitol and the White House, just north of the National Gallery of Art. In addition to its diplomatic role, the Embassy handles consular services and assists with international business development for the surrounding states of Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland.
The Embassy of Canada was at 1746 Massachusetts Avenue on Embassy Row, in a house that had been purchased in 1927 from the widow of Clarence Moore, a financier who was killed in the sinking of the RMS Titanic. Today, the house is the Embassy of Uzbekistan.
By 1969, the chancery had spread across three buildings and could not accommodate additional staff. At the same time, the federally chartered Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation was looking to revitalize the avenue. In 1978, the Canadian government purchased a vacant lot on Pennsylvania for $5 million. The site had been a Ford dealership (built in 1916 by Irwin and Leighton as Ford Service Building) and a public library. The six floor building was demolished before it was purchased by Canada.
The Embassy was officially opened by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney on May 3, 1989. The building houses approximately 265 Canadian diplomatic and locally engaged staff. The Embassy houses representatives from two provinces (Ontario and Alberta) and 13 Canadian federal government agencies including Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Development Canada, Industry Canada, Transport Canada, Public Works and Government Services Canada, the Department of National Defence, the Permanent Mission of Canada to the Organization of American States, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, amongst others.
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