Despite what you may have heard, the U.S. government did not, in fact, give the Canadian government the property at 501 Pennsylvania Avenue as thanks for their help in the Canadian Caper.
After all, the joint rescue operation between the CIA and the Canadian government to rescue American diplomats after the U.S. embassy in Iran was seized happened in 1979, and, according to a Canadian spokesperson, Canada had already purchased the property the year before, when their previous location grew too small for their needs.
"We wish we could say that that story is true," a spokesperson told me recently on a private tour of the embassy, "but no, we paid cold hard cash for it."
It's how to imagine how 501 Pennsylvania could be more different than 1746 Massachusetts, Canada's first foreign mission and the former home of one of the victims of the Titanic disaster, now serving as the Embassy of Uzbekistan. That building, a repurposed mansion on Embassy Row, contrasts sharply with the built-for-purpose embassy along the Presidential inaugural parade route, the only country to hold such a place of distinction and one owing to its close relationship with the U.S.
Read A Home on the Nation's Avenue on Diplomatica Global.
VIP Events are returning this fall! Stay tuned.
From its role as the birthplace of the United Nations, the city of San Francisco has always had its own distinctive place in the world of diplomacy. In recent years, however, San Francisco has become the birthplace of something else – a distinctive form of tech diplomacy that could only happen within striking distance of Silicon Valley.
Read about the EU's new office in San Francisco in Parliament Magazine, New EU Office Meets Demands For Greater European Presence in Silicon Valley.
Learn about San Francisco's role as the birthplace of the United Nations in our profile of the building where the charter was signed, Building a World Without War.
Tango at embassies isn't a new concept; although for many years, the Argentina embassy and its gorgeous historic ballroom have cornered the market. But the Embassy of Uruguay has as much claim as its neighbor on wide-eyed students envisioning themselves moving gracefully in one of the world's most sophisticate dances.
And the embassies of the two countries that share claim to tango share something else - an enigmatic instructor. Read Born in a River on Diplomatica Global.
We're busy preparing for our fall issues of diplomatic properties. Keep an eye out for profiles from Vienna thanks to the upcoming Austrian-American Media Fellowship Programme in October.Special thanks to the DC Public Library and the Library of Congress for their research help. We couldn't put out an issue without them.
Do you have a historic property or a new initiative at your embassy or residence we should know about? You can nominate a building or tell us more on our Nominations Form.
Looking for something fun to do this weekend, next week, or this month? Here's our curated list of the most interesting public diplomacy events happening soon.September 8, 2022 6:30 PM - Japan Information & Culture Center, Embassy of Japan. Join World Cosplay Summit Alumna and Curator of Crafting Global Friendships: Celebrating 20 Years of the World Cosplay Summit Diana Tolin for a deeper look into the world of cosplay on the international stage.
September 9, 2022 6:00 PM - Goethe Institute. Professor Dr. Mia Bay shares insights from her book "Traveling Black" and comments on the documentary "Driving While Black."
September 13 - October 27 - Villa Albertine and the Embassy of France host the Fantastic Science Fiction film festival in partnership with the DC International Film Festival.
September 15, 2022 6:00 PM Learn and discuss Finland's decision to join NATO and its effects on the US-Finland relationship as well as the European security landscape at the Young Leaders Forum at the Embassy of Finland.
Ongoing - the Canadian Embassy's public art gallery will be opening a new exhibit in September. The gallery is open M-F 9-5.
Are you organizing an event our readers would enjoy? Let us know and we'll include it in the next issue.
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