London is full of embassies and consulates, which probably isn’t a surprise given the city’s status as a world hub of sorts. But amongst them all one of the most prominently placed and visually striking is Canada’s.
The High Commission of Canada to the United Kingdom is found facing the famous Trafalgar Square and was designed by the very same architect of the British Museum, Sir Robert Smirke. It’s an imposing building, whether viewed up close or from nearby Nelson’s Column… assuming you can peer past the hordes of tourists.
The building predates Canada’s tenancy, originally being used by a private members’ club and the Royal College of Physicians. Eventually it was acquired by the Canadian government in 1923, as at the time Canada’s diplomatic operations were spread all over London and the mission needed to coalesce themselves into one location.
Most notably, during WW2 a German bomb fell close enough to the embassy to almost take out Canada’s 14th Prime Minister, Lester B. Pearson, whom was in residence at the time.
Since then, Canada House has had further ups and downs due to various refurbishments and successive governments viewing the magnificent Greek Revival building as a fiscal liability.
But in spite of all this it stands today fully refurbished and in active use, providing Canada a prominent base of operations in London. The rooms inside are named after parts of Canada. There’s a Quebec room, a Saskatchewan room, an Atlantic room, each with creations from designers and artists across Canada.
As I was photographing the outside, there was evidence of Canada House providing a more mundane yet vital service to Canadians. A family showed up at the front entrance and told the concierge their daughter had lost her passport (nightmare!) and they were attending a meeting to get it replaced before they had to fly back. I only hope they were based in London and didn’t have to travel down from some more remote part of the country just for this.
Tours are available every month, provided you register in advance. Sadly I didn’t get a chance to do this, as it would have been fascinating to see inside. I’m not sure my timing will ever work out to sync up with one of these, but I’ll certainly do it one day if the stars align.
That said, there is a virtual tour on YouTube [en | fr] which although a few years old reveals some of the design and artwork within those walls.
If you’re looking to visit, you’ll find the embassy located directly on Trafalgar Square. Just stand on the square and look for the Canadian flags – or on special occasions, the flags of the Canadian provinces. Nearest tube is Charing Cross and there are plenty of bus routes which stop nearby.
