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Destination: LONDON, England Canada House Queen reopens Canada House By HELEN BRANSWELL -- Canadian Press
LONDON -- Red-coated Mounties, circus performers, celebrities and the Queen herself joined in the celebrations at Canada House's gala reopening Wednesday. Prime Minister Jean Chretien led the Queen through the ornate doors of the stately building, lovingly restored over the past 18 months to its early splendor, after she cut a giant red-and-white ribbon. A glittering crowd, including singer Bryan Adams, TV star Paul Gross, director Atom Egoyan and newspaper magnate Conrad Black, were on hand as Canada's most famous piece of real estate abroad was once more opened to the public. "Canada House is a symbol of the unbreakable transatlantic bond that joins Canada and the United Kingdom," the prime minister said. "Restored to her former beauty and glory, she speaks both of the historic richness of our relationship and its modern vitality." The new Canada House is to be a window on what Canada has to offer, in cultural, business and high technology. It contains offices for tourism and the National Film Board, an art gallery, a 60-seat cinema, a Canadian library and a public e-mail facility where Canadian travellers can pick up messages. The neoclassical building, located on the west side of Trafalgar Square at London's heart, was acquired by Canada in 1923 to be the Canadian High Commission. The Queen's grandfather, King George V, presided over the official opening in 1925. Over time, Canada's delegation to Britain outgrew Canada House. In recent years, it has served as a cultural centre and way station for Canadians abroad while the actual business of Canadian diplomacy has been conducted at Macdonald House in nearby Mayfair. By 1994, the building had deteriorated to such a degree that it had to be closed. The federal government planned to sell the building rather than spend the millions necessary to bring it up to modern safety standards, but public pressure produced a change of heart. The Queen and Prince Philip toured the sumptuous public rooms, viewing an exhibit of portraits by famed photographer Yousef Karsh -- including two of the Queen -- and smiled and waved at students of Musgravetown High School in Musgravetown, Nfld., via a live Internet linkup. Chretien introduced Her Majesty to costumed performers of the Cirque du Soleil, which he proudly identified as "a great Canadian organization going around the world." The Queen drew laughs by noting that the performer she was speaking with sounded British. He was, hailing from Manchester. A team of chefs, flown over from Canadian Pacific hotels across Canada, created thousands of "Canadian cuisine" canapes for the event. Jean Soulard, head chef at the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City, was impressed by the Queen's flawless French. "Now I understand why the British people love the Queen," said Soulard, a native of France. While Canada House has always been the focus of things Canadian in Britain, it has also been a lightning rod for groups protesting Canadian policies and Wednesday's opening was no exception. Activists from Greenpeace scaled Nelson's Tower, barely 50 metres away in Trafalgar Square, to unfurl a giant banner protesting logging in the temperate rainforests of British Columbia's northwest coast. "People generally around the world and inside Canada want to see these rainforests protected," said Greenpeace spokesman John Sauven, who called on Chretien to personally ensure their preservation.
Native artists bless Canada House on eve of reopeningLONDON -- Aboriginal artists in ermine-trimmed headdresses and button blankets danced and chanted as they blessed Canada House on Tuesday, on the eve of the historic building's gala reopening. The Queen, accompanied by Prime Minister Jean Chretien, will snip a ribbon later today to signify that Canada's most famous piece of real estate abroad is once again open to the public. Chretien arrived in the British capital Tuesday night on an 11-day European trip that includes an official visit to Britain, including this weekend's G-8 summit in Birmingham and visits to Slovenia, Bosnia and Italy. But the first order of business is the reopening of Canada House and a reception -- featuring Canadian cuisine and wines -- that will set the tone for Canada House's new role as a showcase for Canadian culture and technological expertise. Members of Montreal's world-famous Cirque du soleil will be in attendance, as will some renowned Canadian artists such as the legendary photographer Yousuf Karsh. But to set the stage for the gala reception, five native artists and Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy took part in a ceremony Tuesday to bless the newly restored building, located on Trafalgar Square in the heart of London. The five, from different British Columbian tribes, have produced a stunning collection of carved masks, which will be on display in Canada House throughout the summer. David Neel of the Kwakiutl band was thrilled that native art was given centre stage for such a high profile occasion. "My own family have been artists for many generations. And for us to really see this level of recognition and respect, this is a very historic day," he said. The masks mix contemporary influences with traditional carving styles to produce some extraordinary works -- including a mask of the late Princess of Wales. Joe David of the Clayoquot band on B.C.'s northwest coast said the inspiration for the piece came to him in a dream. Shortly before Diana's death, David dreamt he was in a room full of people when the princess entered the room. "She came directly at me and I didn't know what to do so I just extended my hand to say hello or whatever it was I could muster up. And she said: 'Oh, no, I don't want that, I've come for a hug.' "So I gave her a hug. And I could see that she was in some bit of a state. And it wasn't long later that, of course, she died." Another inaugural exhibit is Karsh in London, featuring 36 portraits the photographer took of famous Britons, including the Queen and Sir Winston Churchill. The plan is to make Canada House a window on what the country has to offer. It contains offices for tourism and the National Film Board, an art gallery, a 60-seat cinema, a Canadian library and a public e-mail facility where Canadian travellers can pick up messages. The stately neoclassical building was acquired by Canada in 1923 for the Canadian High Commission. The Queen's grandfather, George V, presided over the official opening in 1925. Over the years, Canada's delegation to Britain outgrew Canada House and in recent times it has served as a cultural centre and way station for Canadians abroad while the actual business of Canadian diplomacy has been conducted out of Macdonald House in Mayfair. By 1994, the building had deteriorated to such an extent it was closed to the public. The federal government decided to sell Canada House rather than spend the millions needed to bring it up to modern safety standards. But the decision was an unpopular one. Canada House, more than any other embassy, had for decades been the emblem of Canada abroad. A former Canadian high commissioner in London, Royce Frith, spearheaded a campaign to restore Canada House, arguing that such a prominent and well located building was the perfect venue for highlighting Canadian culture, an increasingly important theme of Ottawa's foreign policy. "It would have been a big negative in my view to our cultural diplomacy if we would have closed Canada House," said Frith, who is in London for the reopening. The restoration took 18 months and cost $15.5 million Cdn but that was still $3 million under budget.
(First featured: May 13, 1998) |
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