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List of ambassadors of Canada to the United States

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This is a list of ambassadors of Canada to the United States, formally titled as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States of America for His [Her] Majesty's Government in Canada. Originally, Canada's top diplomatic representative to the U.S. had the rank of Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary. The title was promoted to the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in 1943, during the period when Leighton McCarthy had the post.

Before November 25, 1926, Canada was represented in Washington D.C. by the British ambassador to the United States.

Most Canadian ambassadors to the United States have been political appointees to the position. A few (Chrétien, Pearson, Charles Ritchie, Edgar Ritchie, Kirsten Hillman, and Wrong) were career diplomats or spent most of their career at the Department of External Affairs (or its successors).

Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary

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# Name Picture Took office Left office Prime Minister(s)
1 Vincent Massey November 25, 1926 July 23, 1930 William Lyon Mackenzie King
H. H. Wrong (Chargé d'Affaires ad interim) July 23, 1930 March 9, 1931 William Lyon Mackenzie King
R. B. Bennett
2 W.D. Herridge March 9, 1931 1935 R. B. Bennett
H. H. Wrong (Chargé d'Affaires ad interim) 1935 1936 R. B. Bennett
William Lyon Mackenzie King
3 Sir Herbert Marler 1936 1939 William Lyon Mackenzie King
4 Loring Christie 1939 1941 William Lyon Mackenzie King
5 Leighton McCarthy 1941 1943 William Lyon Mackenzie King

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary

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# Name Picture Took office Left office Prime Minister(s)
5 Leighton McCarthy 1943 1944 William Lyon Mackenzie King
6 Lester B. Pearson 1944 1946 William Lyon Mackenzie King
7 H. H. Wrong 1946 1953 William Lyon Mackenzie King

Louis St. Laurent

8 A.D.P. Heeney 1953 1957 Louis St. Laurent
9 Norman Robertson 1957 1958 John Diefenbaker
A.D.P. Heeney 1959 1962 John Diefenbaker
10 C.S.A. Ritchie 1962 1966 John Diefenbaker

Lester B. Pearson

11 A.E. Ritchie 1966 1970 Lester B. Pearson

Pierre Elliott Trudeau

12 Marcel Cadieux 1970 1975 Pierre Elliott Trudeau
13 Jake Warren 1975 1977 Pierre Elliott Trudeau
14 Peter Towe 1977 1981 Joseph Clark

Pierre Elliott Trudeau

15 Allan Gotlieb 1981 1989 Pierre Elliott Trudeau

John Turner

Brian Mulroney

16 Derek Burney 1989 1993 Brian Mulroney

Kim Campbell

17 John de Chastelain 1993 1994 Jean Chrétien
18 Raymond Chrétien 1994 2000 Jean Chrétien
19 Michael Kergin October 26, 2000 February 28, 2005 Jean Chrétien

Paul Martin

20 Frank McKenna March 8, 2005 March 13, 2006 Paul Martin

Stephen Harper

21 Michael Wilson March 13, 2006 October 19, 2009 Stephen Harper
22 Gary Doer October 19, 2009 March 3, 2016 Stephen Harper

Justin Trudeau

23 David MacNaughton March 3, 2016 August 31, 2019 Justin Trudeau
24 Kirsten Hillman[1][2] March 26, 2020

Acting Ambassador
from August 31, 2019

Incumbent Justin Trudeau

See also

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References

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  • "Canadian Heads of Posts Abroad from 1880". Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.
  1. ^ [1], Acting Ambassador of Canada to the United States. Government of Canada. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
  2. ^ [2], Kirsten Hillman officially named Canadian ambassador to the United States. CBC. Retrieved March 25, 2020.