Canada House () is a

Greek Revival Greek Revival architecture is a architectural style, style that began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe, the United States, and Canada, ...

building on

Trafalgar Square Trafalgar Square ( ) is a public square in the City of Westminster in Central London. It was established in the early-19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. Its name commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar, the Royal Navy, ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. It has been a Grade II*

Listed Building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

since 1970. It has served as the

chancery Chancery may refer to: Offices and administration * Court of Chancery, the chief court of equity in England and Wales until 1873 ** Equity (law), also called chancery, the body of jurisprudence originating in the Court of Chancery ** Courts of e ...

of the High Commission of Canada in the United Kingdom since 1925.

History

The building which would later become known as Canada House was built between 1824 and 1827 to designs by Sir Robert Smirke, the architect of the

British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...

. It was originally two buildings used by the Union Club and the

Royal College of Physicians The Royal College of Physicians of London, commonly referred to simply as the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), is a British professional membership body dedicated to improving the practice of medicine, chiefly through the accreditation of ph ...

. Under the leadership of High Commissioner

Peter Charles Larkin Peter Charles Larkin, (May 14, 1855 – February 3, 1930) was a Canadian businessman, diplomat and political patron. Business career Larkin, a world traveller who specialized in finding foodstuffs for import, was best known for founding the ...

, the

Canadian government The Government of Canada (), formally His Majesty's Government (), is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. The term ''Government of Canada'' refers specifically to the executive, which includes ministers of the Crown ( ...

acquired the Union Club in 1923 for the sum of £223,000.Canada House – the Government of Canada's showpiece for close to a century
Canada International It was Larkin's intention to centralise the work of 200 Canadian employees scattered among offices in Victoria Street in one central building. Renovations cost $1.3 million CDN and were supervised by the architect Septimus Warwick, who moved the main entrance from

Cockspur Street Cockspur Street is a short street in the City of Westminster, London, within which a very short part of Trafalgar Square links Charing Cross to Pall Mall/Pall Mall East at the point where that road changes name, opposite the traffic exit from ...

. The designers imported Canadian furniture, carpets and maple and birch flooring. The exterior was reclad in

Portland stone Portland stone is a limestone geological formation (formally named the Portland Stone Formation) dating to the Tithonian age of the Late Jurassic that is quarried on the Isle of Portland in Dorset, England. The quarries are cut in beds of whi ...

to match the façade of the Royal College of Physicians. The building was officially opened on 29 June 1925 by King

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. George w ...

. When he declared Canada House open, King George said: "Canada is a great country: alike in the literal sense of vast extent from 'sea to sea' and great in achievement and in promise: and it is right and necessary that its official representatives here should be housed in a manner worthy of the Dominion and adequate to the discharge of their ever-growing and important duties." During the

London Blitz London is the capital and largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Western Europe, with a population of 14.9 million. London stands on the River Tha ...

, a bomb fell near the building, only away from future Canadian prime minister

Lester B. Pearson Lester Bowles Pearson (23 April 1897 – 27 December 1972) was a Canadian politician, diplomat, statesman, and scholar who served as the 14th prime minister of Canada from 1963 to 1968. He also served as Leader of the Liberal Party of C ...

, who was the secretary to the High Commissioner at the time. Canada increased its presence by acquiring the future

Macdonald House The MacDonald House is a prominent building and monument in Singapore, located at Orchard Road in the Museum Planning Area, within the Central Area of the country. Built in 1949, it was the first building to be fully air-conditioned in Sout ...

, located at 1 Grosvenor Square in Mayfair, in 1961. In 1993, Canada House was closed by the Canadian government as a cost-cutting measure with the intention of selling it. A change of government in Canada saw this decision reversed and renovations were planned instead, beginning in 1997. The building was officially reopened by Queen

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

, as Queen of Canada, in May 1998. To commemorate the reopening, a detachment from the 3rd Battalion,

Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI, generally referred to as the Patricias) is one of the three Regular Force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army of the Canadian Armed Forces. Formed in 1914, it is named for Princess Patrici ...

, came to London and mounted the

Queen's Guard The King's Guard are Picket (military), sentry postings at Buckingham Palace and St James's Palace, organised by the British Army's Household Division. The Household Division also guard mounting, mounts sentry postings at Horse Guards (buildi ...

at Buckingham Palace. Ontario Room

Canada House was closed again in 2010 and re-opened in 2012 for the

Diamond Jubilee A diamond jubilee celebrates the 60th anniversary of a significant event related to a person (e.g. accession to the throne or wedding, among others) or the 60th anniversary of an institution's founding. The term is also used for 75th annivers ...

. It was used as Canada Olympic House during the

2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012, were an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

in London. The main work of the High Commission, including consular, public affairs, political, trade and administrative functions was then carried out from Macdonald House in

Mayfair Mayfair is an area of Westminster, London, England, in the City of Westminster. It is in Central London and part of the West End. It is between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane and one of the most expensive districts ...

. In February 2013, the Government of Canada announced that it would consolidate its diplomatic presence at Canada House and sell off Macdonald House. As part of the plan, the building next door to Canada House, known as 2-4 Cockspur Street, was acquired by Canada in 2013 (until this date 2-4 Cockspur Street served as headquarters of the

Department for Culture, Media and Sport The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It holds the responsibility for Culture of the United Kingdom, culture a ...

). The building at 2-4 Cockspur Street was constructed between 1926 and 1929 for Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada and had served as the Canadian Army's overseas headquarters in London during World War II. Over the next two years, 2-4 Cockspur Street and Canada House were renovated. As part of the renovation, 2-4 Cockspur Street was joined to Canada House in July 2014. In November 2013, Macdonald House was sold, although as part of the transaction the diplomatic staff was permitted to stay until the renovations to Canada House were completed and the diplomatic staff did not move to Canada House until December 2014. The Canadian High Commission transferred all of its diplomatic functions to Canada House on 15 December 2014. The Queen and the

Duke of Edinburgh Duke of Edinburgh, named after the capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh, is a substantive title that has been created four times since 1726 for members of the British royal family. It does not include any territorial landholdings and does not pr ...

once again officially reopened Canada House on 19 February 2015.

Current functions

Canada House is the home of the High Commission of Canada in the United Kingdom. It hosts consular facilities for Canadians to renew passports or apply for emergency assistance, visa and immigration processing services, a military liaison office, trade officers, political officers and a public affairs section. Canada House is used for special events, hosting conferences, receptions, lectures and lunches. The Canada House Gallery stages exhibitions of historical and contemporary art and artefacts. Mackenzie King Rm Canada House

Gallery

File:Front entrance of Canada House.jpg, Front entrance of Canada House File:British Columbia Rm, Canada House.jpg, British Columbia Room, Canada House File:51 CHC Fit-out13-11.jpg, Aerial view of Canada House and Trafalgar Square File:Canada House in 1926.jpg, Canada House in 1926 File:London Canada House Night 2.jpg, Canada House by night, showing the flags of the

provinces and territories of Canada Canada has ten provinces and three territories that are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Constitution of Canada, Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British North Amer ...

on the side File:Canada House 2013.jpg, Entrance on

File:Flagsoncanadahouse.JPG, Provincial and territorial flags on Canada House File:Canada House with flags.jpg, Canada House with flags File:Manitoba Room.jpg, The Manitoba Room in Canada House File:Canada House green roof.jpg, Green roof on top of Canada House

References

External links

*
High Commission of Canada in the United Kingdom, in LondonCanada Gallery
{{Authority control Trafalgar Square Buildings and structures completed in 1827 Greek Revival architecture in the United Kingdom 1923 establishments in the United Kingdom Art museums and galleries in London Canadian art Grade II* listed buildings in the City of Westminster Canada–United Kingdom relations

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

Museums in the City of Westminster Cultural centers in Europe Robert Smirke (architect) buildings Georgian architecture in the City of Westminster Neoclassical architecture in London Transatlantic cultural exchange 1827 establishments in England

History

Current functions

Gallery

See also

References

External links