Famous Canadian Diplomats

David Johnston is a Canadian academic, author, and politician. He served as the governor-general of Canada from 2010 to 2017. He attended Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and Queen's University and pursued an academic career. Alongside his academic career, he also involved himself with politics and public service. He is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. 

Canadian diplomat, political-scientist and retired politician Stéphane Dion is the Canadian Ambassador to Germany and special envoy to the EU. He was a Member of Parliament for the Montreal riding of Saint-Laurent for over two decades, and held several ministries. He also held office as Leader of Liberal Party of Canada and Leader of the Opposition in House of Commons.

Kenneth D. Taylor was a Canadian diplomat, businessman, and educator. Taylor is best remembered for playing a major role in the 1979 rescue operation, The Canadian Caper, helping six American hostages escape from Iran. Widely regarded as the main hero of the operation, Kenneth D. Taylor was honored with the prestigious Congressional Gold Medal in 1981.

Lucien Bouchard is a French Canadian diplomat, lawyer, and retired politician. He is known for his role in the 1995 Quebec referendum, during which he became the leading figure for the Yes side. From 1996 to 2001, he served as the premier of Quebec. Over the years, Bouchard has been honored with many awards including the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal.

R. B. Bennett was the 11th prime minister of Canada and was in the office from 1930 to 1935. A lawyer by profession, he established a successful law firm before venturing into politics. His tenure as the prime minister was marked primarily by the Great Depression. He tried to combat the crisis with laissez-faire policies, albeit unsuccessfully. He was defeated in the 1935 election.  

Louis St. Laurent was a Canadian politician who served as the prime minister of Canada from 1948 to 1957. He was a successful lawyer before he entered politics and began his political career as the minister of justice under Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King. He then rose through the ranks to succeed King upon his retirement.

Stephen Lewis is a Canadian politician, public speaker, and diplomat. The son of a labor lawyer and social democratic politician, Lewis dropped out of law school to take up a clerical position with the Socialist International. He later ventured into politics and became the leader of the social-democratic Ontario New Democratic Party. He is married to journalist Michele Landsberg. 

Vincent Massey was a Canadian lawyer and diplomat. He served as the governor-general of Canada from February 1952 to September 1959. He was the first governor-general of Canada who was born in Canada. As the governor-general, he was committed to uniting Canada’s diverse cultures and desired to establish an entirely Canadian honors system. He was also involved in philanthropy.  

John McCallum, Canada’s ambassador to China, made headlines after being fired from duty by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, which many tabloids claimed was a result of McCallum’s insensitive comments regarding a Huawei extradition case. Interestingly, he headed the arts department at McGill University when Trudeau was a student there.

Louise Arbour is a Canadian lawyer, jurist, and prosecutor. She made history when she indicted Slobodan Milošević for war crimes; Milošević became the first sitting head of state to be summoned before an international court. Arbour's attempt to indict Bosnian Serb war criminals inspired a 2005 TV film titled Hunt for Justice, where Louise Arbour was played by Wendy Crewson.

Arthur Meighen was a Canadian lawyer turned politician who served as the ninth prime minister of Canada. He held office from July 1920 to December 1921 and from June to September 1926. He was a member of the Conservative Party. He returned to his law practice after retiring from politics. Many schools are named in his honor.

Georges Vanier was a Canadian military officer and diplomat. He was the governor-general of Canada from 1959 to 1967; he was the first French-Canadian to hold this post. A lawyer by qualification, he served in the army before joining politics. He was popular as the governor-general and earned respect for his war record. He received the Distinguished Service Order.  

Dominic Barton is a Ugandan-born Canadian business executive, management consultant, and diplomat. He attended Oxford University and began his career as a management consultant. He then went on to serve on the Canadian Advisory Committee on the Public Service. Currently, he is the Canadian Ambassador to the People's Republic of China. He is married to scholar Geraldine Buckingham. 

Gordon Campbell is a retired Canadian diplomat and politician. He was the mayor of Vancouver from 1986 to 1993. He led the British Columbia Liberal Party from 1993 to 2011 and was the 34th premier of British Columbia from 2001 to 2011. As the premier, he implemented reforms to stimulate the economy.  

Frank McKenna is a Canadian businessman who is currently serving as the Toronto-Dominion Bank's Deputy Chairman. A former politician, McKenna served as the premier of New Brunswick between 1987 and 1997. An influential and authoritative leader, McKenna was expected to lead the federal Liberal Party in 2008 after the resignation of Stéphane Dion. However, he didn't contest for the position.

Chris Alexander is a former diplomat and politician. He was a member of the Conservative Party of Canada and served as Canada's minister of citizenship and immigration from 2013 to 2015. After completing his education, he joined the Canadian Foreign Service. After almost two decades, he resigned to join politics. He has since retired from politics as well. 

Victor Alexander Bruce, 9th Earl of Elgin was a British politician who served as the governor-general of India from 1894 to 1899. He is remembered for presiding over an investigative enquiry pertaining to the Boer War. The enquiry, which came to be known as The Elgin Commission, was the first to consider the feelings of the relatives of the dead.

Andrew McNaughton was a Canadian scientist, electrical engineer, cabinet minister, army officer, and diplomat. He played important roles in the First and the Second World Wars. During World War II, Andrew McNaughton led the Canadian Expeditionary Force and also commanded the First Canadian Infantry Division. During the interwar period, he served as the Chief of the General Staff.

Gary Doer is a former politician and diplomat who served as Canada's Ambassador to the USA from 2009 to 2016. From 1999 to 2009, he served as the premier of Manitoba, presiding over a New Democratic Party government. During his premiership, Doer dealt with many issues. For four consecutive years, starting from 2003, Doer was voted Canada's most popular premier.

Jules Léger was a Canadian diplomat and politician. He served as the governor-general of Canada from 1974 to 1979. He completed his legal studies and took up a job in the Canadian Department of External Affairs. He served as an ambassador to a number of countries and was appointed as the governor-general by Queen Elizabeth II. 

John Sheardown was a Canadian diplomat known for playing a leading role in the "Canadian Caper". Along with his wife, Zena, he sheltered Americans hiding in Iran during the Iran hostage crisis. He served in the Royal Canadian Air Force as a young man. After surviving World War II, he began his career as a diplomat. 

Arnold Cantwell Smith was a Canadian diplomat who became the first Commonwealth Secretary-General. He served from 1965 to1975. Brilliant as a student, he won a Rhodes Scholarship to Christ Church, Oxford. He eventually began his career as a diplomat and had a long and successful tenure.  He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1984. 

Charles Ritchie was a Canadian diplomat and diarist. After receiving his education from Harvard University and École Libre des Sciences Politiques, he joined the Department of External Affairs. He eventually became a permanent representative to the United Nations. As a diarist, he published the diary, The Siren Years, and its three follow-ups that documented both his personal and professional life. 

Escott Reid was a Canadian diplomat who played a pivotal role in shaping the United Nations and NATO. He was also an author, international public servant, and academic administrator. After earning a master’s degree from Christ Church, Oxford, he embarked on an academic career. He later joined the Canadian Foreign Service and held many significant posts. 

American-born Canadian author and poet Robert Guy Choquette is best remembered for his Prix David-winning volumes of poetry Through the Winds and Metropolitan Museum. A diplomat, too, he had been the Canadian ambassador to Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina. He was also part of the French-Canadian Academy.

Walter Alexander Riddell was a Canadian civil servant, academic, and politician. He served as the Canadian delegate to the International Labour Organization in Geneva from 1920 to 1925 and was the Canadian Advisory Officer to the League of Nations from 1924 to 1937. Later in his career, he taught International Relations at the University of Toronto.