Global Affairs Canada throughout the decades

Global Affairs Canada throughout the decades is an open dataset from Global Affairs Canada with 8 files (HTML); catalogue record updated 2026-10-26. On CanQuery you can follow the original downloads. Files are available in English and French.

Canada owes much to its diplomats. For the first few decades after Confederation, Great Britain handled Canada’s international responsibilities, but the new country soon needed its own foreign ministry. On June 1, 1909, the new Department of External Affairs opened its doors with a handful of employees in a poky office above a barbershop in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. As Canada shed its colonial legacy, the department grew apace, periodically transforming itself to reflect the changing international context and the country’s evolving foreign-policy priorities. By the 1930s, Canada had diplomatic posts in London, Paris, Washington, Tokyo and Geneva. Following the Second World War, Canada’s reach became increasingly global, reflecting its postwar commitment to an active internationalism.

Publisher

Global Affairs Canada

Resources

8

Catalogue metadata updated

2026-10-26