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.

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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

#NamePictureTook officeLeft officePrime Minister(s)
1 Vincent Massey Vincent Massey 1927.jpg November 25, 1926July 23, 1930 William Lyon Mackenzie King
H. H. Wrong (Chargé d'Affaires ad interim) Humphrey Hume Wrong c1915.jpg July 23, 1930March 9, 1931 William Lyon Mackenzie King
R. B. Bennett
2 W.D. Herridge Photograph of William Duncan Herridge (d. 1961) (10613346053).jpg March 9, 19311935 R. B. Bennett
H. H. Wrong (Chargé d'Affaires ad interim) Humphrey Hume Wrong c1915.jpg 19351936 R. B. Bennett
William Lyon Mackenzie King
3 Sir Herbert Marler HerbertMeredithMarler.jpg 19361939 William Lyon Mackenzie King
4 Loring Christie 19391941 William Lyon Mackenzie King
5 Leighton McCarthy Leighton McCarthy.jpg 19411943 William Lyon Mackenzie King

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary

#NamePictureTook officeLeft officePrime Minister(s)
5 Leighton McCarthy Leighton McCarthy.jpg 19431944 William Lyon Mackenzie King
6 Lester B. Pearson Lester B. Pearson (1963 ABC press photo).jpg 19441946 William Lyon Mackenzie King
7 H. H. Wrong Humphrey Hume Wrong c1915.jpg 19461953 William Lyon Mackenzie King

Louis St. Laurent

8 A.D.P. Heeney Ambassador A. D. P. Hoony, Canadian Representative to the NATO Council 286-MP-par-03820a.jpg 19531957 Louis St. Laurent
9 Norman Robertson William Lyon Mackenzie King and Norman Robertson attending the Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference - William Lyon Mackenzie King et Norman Robertson assistant a la conference des premiers ministres du Commonwealth (25134542897).jpg 19571958 John Diefenbaker
A.D.P. Heeney Ambassador A. D. P. Hoony, Canadian Representative to the NATO Council 286-MP-par-03820a.jpg 19591962 John Diefenbaker
10 C.S.A. Ritchie 19621966 John Diefenbaker

Lester B. Pearson

11 A.E. Ritchie 19661970 Lester B. Pearson

Pierre Elliott Trudeau

12 Marcel Cadieux Canadian Ambassador Marcel Cadieux Presenting 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics Commemorative Coins to President Gerald R. Ford in the Oval Office - NARA - 45644175 (cropped).jpg 19701975 Pierre Elliott Trudeau
13 Jake Warren 19751977 Pierre Elliott Trudeau
14 Peter Towe 19771981 Joseph Clark

Pierre Elliott Trudeau

15 Allan Gotlieb Allan Gotlieb 1988 (cropped).jpg 19811989 Pierre Elliott Trudeau

John Turner

Brian Mulroney

16 Derek Burney Derek Burney.jpg 19891993 Brian Mulroney

Kim Campbell

17 John de Chastelain 19931994 Jean Chrétien
18 Raymond Chrétien Raymond Chretien (cropped).jpg 19942000 Jean Chrétien
19 Michael Kergin October 26, 2000February 28, 2005 Jean Chrétien

Paul Martin

20 Frank McKenna Frank McKenna2.jpg March 8, 2005March 13, 2006 Paul Martin

Stephen Harper

21 Michael Wilson Diplomat Michael Wilson.png March 13, 2006October 19, 2009 Stephen Harper
22 Gary Doer Gary Doer 2014.jpg October 19, 2009March 3, 2016 Stephen Harper

Justin Trudeau

23 David MacNaughton David MacNaughton at 2017 MIFF (cropped).jpg March 3, 2016August 31, 2019 Justin Trudeau
24 Kirsten Hillman [1] [2] Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. Hillman (cropped).jpg March 26, 2020

Acting Ambassador
from August 31, 2019

Incumbent Justin Trudeau

Mark Carney

See also

References