Happy Birthday, Canada House!
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.”
— King George V
A hundred years ago today, King George V opened Canada House, also known as the High Commission of Canada in the United Kingdom, with these words. The building has a unique purpose in the relationship between Canada and the UK and a pretty cool address: Canada House, Trafalgar Square, London.
Completed in 1827, the building was purpose-built for a gentleman’s club known as the Union Club. Its architect was Sir Robert Smirke, designer of the British Museum and the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden. The Greek Revival style was a departure from the Regency era, and the style was adopted by many of the neighbours of Canada House, including the National Gallery, South Africa House, and St. Martin-in-the-Fields.
Canada bought the building in 1923. After extensive renovations, the High Commission moved in and has resided there ever since. London is Canada’s oldest diplomatic mission and its second largest, with a complement of 300 today. (In 1923, it numbered five.)
The reason Canada House is a High Commission, not an embassy, is because when it was established way back in 1880, Canada was still under colonial rule. (Fun fact: Canadians were considered British subjects until 1947.) Our first prime minister, Sir John A Macdonald, had a representative in London who acted on his behalf and whom Sir John A. wanted to call a resident minister. Britain said no to that idea and suggested the title of high commissioner instead. That title and the position became the standard for all members of the Commonwealth and is why Commonwealth nations send high commissioners, rather than ambassadors, to each other’s capitals.
As the Canadian diplomatic mission in London grew, it expanded into a second location on Grosvenor Square called Macdonald House, which was in use from 1961 to 2014.
In 2013, Canada bought the building next door to Canada House. Former home of the Sunlife Assurance Company of Canada, it was built at the same time as Canada House and in the same Greek Revival style. (Another fun fact: this building served as the overseas headquarters of the Canadian Army during World War II.) Renovation work converted the two buildings into one, Macdonald House was sold, and the High Commission has resided in one building since 2014.
I became aware of its centennial when I saw the coverage of King Charles and Queen Camilla’s visit to Canada House back in May. They dropped by to draw attention to their upcoming visit to Canada. That visit would be Charles’s 20th, but his first as Sovereign. The purpose of his visit was to attend the opening of Canada’s parliament and deliver the Speech from the Throne.
Given current world events, this was a pretty big deal. Indulge me as I take a moment to explain why. Some of my readers, especially the non-Commonwealth ones, might not understand.
Although Canada is an independent nation, we are a member of the Commonwealth, and one of 14 realms where, in addition to the United Kingdom, the Sovereign is also the Head of State. This means Charles III is also King of Canada.
The Throne Speech outlines the government’s agenda for the next session of parliament and is usually read by the Governor General, who is the King’s representative in Canada. But on just three occasions, the Sovereign has travelled to Canada to read the speech: King Charles last month, and his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1957 and 1977.
After being sworn in as prime minister in March, Mark Carney made a quick overseas trip to Paris and London, stopping off in Iqaluit on his way back to Ottawa. Many saw this trip as symbolic; during his swearing-in ceremony, Carney pointed out that Canada was founded by three peoples: French, English, and Indigenous. While in London, he met with King Charles and asked him to open the next session of the Canadian parliament, should the Liberals be successful in the next election. Which they were.
Fast forward to May 27. Having the King open the 45th Parliament of Canada and deliver the Speech from the Throne highlighted to the world that we are a constitutional monarchy, and our system of government is much different than that of the republic to our south. Charles and Camilla were in Ottawa less than 24 hours, but were given a warm welcome by thousands of Canadians. Even anti-monarchists were heard to remark on the significance of the occasion.
About those current world events. Some people think Canada becoming the 51st state is a joke, but Canadians aren’t laughing. The Speech from the Throne reiterated Canada’s sovereignty and the need to rebuild our relationships with both the United States and the rest of the world.
The Throne Speech is always written by the government, but the Sovereign (or the Governor General, as the case may be) are expected to add a personal touch at the beginning. Charles did so with these words:
Every time I come to Canada, a little more of Canada seeps into my bloodstream — and from there straight to my heart.”
It was a bit surreal to hear King Charles speak about Canadian domestic issues such as building affordable homes and strengthening our border, but when he read the following words, his tone was heartfelt:
As the anthem reminds us: the True North is indeed strong and free.”
The entire chamber broke out in applause.
The monarchy has to remain apolitical, but they have been known to use symbols to express themselves. Canadians noticed when Charles wore his Canadian military honours while on a visit to a Royal Navy ship in early March, a day after meeting with Prime Minister Trudeau in London. The visit of Charles and Camilla to Canada House a week before their visit to Canada was another symbol.
I got up close and personal with Canada House over two days in the fall of 2010. The above photo is actually of the side entrance, not the main one by which the Royals and other distinguished guests enter. But it’s the entrance I used. See, when you’re a Canadian in London who has had her passport stolen while travelling on a crowded Tube train, you need to visit Canada House.
The wallet was stolen on a Saturday night, and I had to wait until Monday morning to get into the High Commission. By then it had been a long and stressful two nights for me, but the consular official who helped me was calming and reassuring. She had me sorted out in no time. I returned the next morning to pick up my temporary passport and was then able to leave for Paris, only one day later than scheduled.
So for me, Canada House isn’t just a symbol. And while I’m sure the people who helped me thought they were just doing their job, I needed them to do those jobs to get me home.
In the same way, asking the King of Canada to open our Parliament is more than a symbol. It’s his job. And this year, in these times, we needed him to do his job. It might not make any difference to the man sitting in the White House, but it sure reminded Canadians that we are strong and, indeed, free.
The Erickson
A year ago today, I started a series of posts on Vancouver buildings designed by Arthur Erickson. I have one last photo to post, and that’s this building, named, appropriately enough, The Erickson.
This condo was built on the former Expo Lands, on the north side of False Creek. It was finished in 2010, a year after Erickson died, and is one of the last projects he was involved with.
I remember when it went up. My walks along the seawall involved a detour to get around the construction, but now, the building looks like it’s been there forever.
Canada House
Here’s another Erickson design. This is Canada House, completed in 2009. It was built to house the Canadian athletes during the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, which ended 15 years ago today with another spectacular hockey win for Canada.
The condos have since been sold and an entirely new neighbourhood has sprung up on the south side of False Creek.
Waterfall Building
When I started researching the buildings designed by Arthur Erickson, I was surprised to learn that a concrete building I always walk past after seeing my hairdresser was one of his designs.
This is the Waterfall Building, named after the water feature that frames the entrance. Completed in 2001, it was intended as a live-work complex and is on a far smaller scale than the other Erickson buildings I have written about in this series.
Koerner Library
As someone who has worked with books most of her professional life, I appreciate a well-designed library. This is the Koerner Library at the University of British Columbia, designed by Arthur Erickson and completed in 1997. It is named after Walter C. Koerner, a forestry businessman and philanthropist long associated with the university.
Koerner Library is the largest of the 15 libraries at UBC’s Point Grey campus and home to the humanities and social sciences collections. What’s kind of neat, I think, is that it was built on top of the former Sedgewick Library, which was below ground level and used skylights to bring natural light into the stacks. That building is now the basement of the Koerner Library.
Robson Square
One could argue that the most iconic of Erickson designs in Vancouver is the Robson Square complex. Sprawled across three blocks in the centre of downtown, it is bookended by the Provincial Law Courts and the Vancouver Art Gallery.
Long before Erickson came on board, the plan was for a vertical building — the tallest in Vancouver. But the 1972 provincial election brought about a change in both government and architect. And when worries were expressed about the immense shadow that such a building would cast, the new architect, Arthur Erickson, declared, “Let’s turn it on its side.” His vision was for a public square that people could walk through, anchored by the law at one end and the arts at the other.
The Provincial Law Courts were completed in 1979.
The renovation of the Vancouver Art Gallery, formerly the provincial courthouse, was completed in 1983.
The result is what Vancouver considers to be its main civic square. Curiously, though, our City Hall is located some three kilometres away. Why not downtown like most cities?
Good question, but that’s a topic for another post.
Cornelia Hahn Oberlander, the landscape architect who worked with Erickson on the Evergreen Building, designed the hanging gardens with its series of cascading waterfalls.
The law courts contain courtrooms, offices, and a law library. The entire complex is multi-level, with provincial government offices above ground and a sunken plaza with an ice rink below, offering free skating in the winter and salsa and ballroom dancing in the summer.
The buildings flanking the rink contain the classrooms and offices of the downtown campus of UBC.
Robson Square takes its name from downtown Vancouver’s main shopping street, which runs through the middle of the complex. That one-block stretch of Robson Street was first closed to vehicle traffic during the Vancouver Olympics, then every summer, and then permanently in 2017.
Robson Street is named after John Robson, a business man from Upper Canada who came west during the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush of 1859. He was a strong advocate for the Colony of British Columbia joining Confederation and eventually served as our ninth premier.
Evergreen Building
Yup. Still here, still working on my series on Arthur Erickson buildings that have shaped Vancouver.
This one is easy to walk past without realizing its significance. Located on a quiet intersection in Coal Harbour, the building’s recessed terraces are meant to emulate a mountainside. Erickson collaborated with landscape architect Cornelia Hahn Oberlander when designing the building.
Its unique footprint came about for a practical reason: it was the space available where the two streets meet at an obtuse angle, instead of the usual 90 degrees. It is categorized as an office building, but also has some corporate residential suites.
The Evergreen Building was completed in 1980.
Museum of Anthropology
One of Arthur Erickson’s most iconic buildings, completed in 1976, is the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia. It sits on traditional and unceded territory of the Musqueam people, at the tip of Point Grey, facing the Salish Sea.
I’m told that the post-and-beam construction was inspired by the architecture of the Northwest Coast First Nations. The floor-to-ceiling windows of the Great Hall let in all the light. And when you stand outside and look back at the museum, you see the sky reflected back at you.
The building incorporates several World War II gun placements. Rather than ripping them out, Erickson incorporated them into the building’s design. One has been repurposed as the base for Raven and the First Men, a sculpture by Haida artist Bill Reid.
The Museum of Anthropology began in 1949 as a department of the Faculty of Arts at UBC. It has one of the world’s best collections of Indigenous art and is particularly known for its Northwest Coast collection. In 2023, the museum closed to undergo a seismic upgrade that involved completely rebuilding the 25 concrete pillars of the Great Hall. It reopened again last June in time for the centenary of Erickson’s birth.
MacMillan Bloedel Building
Ahem.
I promised you a series of blog posts about Arthur Erickson buildings that have shaped Vancouver, way back in (checks notes) June.
What can I say? A glorious BC summer got in my way and I’ve been spending as much time away from my computer as possible. I’m sure you understand.
However, I do want to showcase those buildings, and so, here we go.
First up is the MacMillan Bloedel Building that stands prominently in the centre of downtown Vancouver.
It was completed in 1968 and is a typical example of Brutalism, the style of architecture the dominated the middle of the previous century.
Each window measures 7 feet by 7 feet and is a single pane of glass. The lobby is separated from the street by a series of sunken pools and concrete planters filled with trees and other vegetation.
Standing 27 storeys tall, the MacMillan Bloedel Building was the tallest in Vancouver when finished. It was built to house the headquarters of MacMillan Bloedel, a forestry company that hasn’t existed for 25 years. Although it was renamed Arthur Erickson Place in 2019, it’s still commonly referred to as the MacBlo Building.
Happy Birthday, Arthur Erickson!
Architecture, as I see it, is the art of composing spaces in response to existing environmental and urbanistic conditions to answer a client’s needs. In this way the building becomes the resolution between its inner being and the outer conditions imposed upon it. It is never solitary but is part of its setting and thus must blend in a timeless way with its surroundings yet show its own fresh presence.
— Arthur Erickson
Google “world’s top architects” and he doesn’t merit so much as a mention, but Arthur Erickson is arguably Canada’s best internationally known architect. He was born in Vancouver 100 years ago today.
After serving in the Canadian Army during and after World War II, Erickson had plans to become a diplomat, but his interests turned to architecture upon seeing the work of Frank Lloyd Wright. He completed his studies at UBC, went on to McGill, and also studied in the Middle East, Greece, Italy, and Japan. In 1962, after a decade spent teaching and designing, he opened his Vancouver-based architecture firm in partnership with Geoffrey Massey. After they won the competition to design Simon Fraser University, there was no stopping him.
Some say that Erickson’s architecture should be as well known as Margaret Atwood’s novels or Emily Carr’s paintings. Certainly his buildings have shaped the look of Vancouver. Erickson also shaped architects — many moved to Vancouver to work under his mentorship.
Centenary events are happening throughout Vancouver this summer. My own commemoration will consist of a series of blog posts about some of his most important Vancouver projects.
But, to begin, today I’m posting about the only building of his that I’ve photographed outside of Canada. That would be the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC.
I don’t usually make a point of checking out Canadian embassies during my travels (unless required to, as happened during an unfortunate episode while in London on route to Paris — that’s a story I keep meaning to tell but haven’t gotten around to yet). However, I can attest that the Canadian Embassy in Washington is magnificent, and definitely worth a look-see.
If you’ve ever visited Washington, you know it’s a sea of Neoclassicist buildings. Erickson had to work under a series of restrictions so that the building he designed did not stand out too much from its surroundings.
As you approach the embassy, its façade is imposing, but not severely so. The Rotunda of the Provinces and Territories consists of 12 pillars, representing 10 provinces and two territories. (Nunavut was not yet in existence when the embassy was built.)
The waterfall that surrounds the rotunda is meant to represent Niagara Falls, the world-famous waterfall that straddles the Canada–US border.
In the courtyard, resting in a pool of water, is the bronze statue Spirit of Haida Gwaii, the Black Canoe by Bill Reid. (A second casting of the same sculpture, Spirit of Haida Gwaii, the Green Canoe, is in the International Terminal at YVR Airport.)
The embassy opened in 1989 and is located on Pennsylvania Avenue between the United States Capital and the White House.
There and Back Again 