History of the Embassy

The Ambassade of the the United States to Ottawa is one of the most important buildings of the city, and one of the most impressive embassies American in the world, inaugurated in 1999. It is with some streets of the Canadian Parliament, to the 490 Sussex Drive. In the West of the building “Major' S Hill Park is”, while the “National Gallery off Canada” is in the North-West.

It was built in 1930, the old embassy having become too small and the employees dispersed in eight other buildings. Preoccupations with a safety led to the centralization of all these buildings. To build a new embassy was a colossal task. The attempts in order to have a new structure began in 1960. The discovery of an adapted site, receiving the acceptance of the two governments, proved to be difficult: a proposal to build the embassy in the Park of Rockcliffe, close to the Museum of Aviation of Canada, was disallowed by the local institutions which feared for their safety like for the congestion of the roads. The new embassy was finally built on a small hill which was the old carpark of Byward Market (commercial district comprising a large tender). One considers the blow total of work at 54 million dollars. It also should be known that the embassy contributed to the good performance of the local economy while not employing less than 200 employees, Americans and Canadians.

Earlier in the history of Ottawa, the place of the new embassy was the place where a great number of dwellings and trade were, but the zone was emptied by the federal government during the First World War. A building was built, acting as temporary offices for the government officials. After the war, this building was destroyed, but another temporary building was born during the Second world war. This new structure survived until 1972, date where it made destroyed, leaving place, again, with a carpark.

Polemic and concern being dependant to him

The design of the embassy (imagined by the architect David Childs) was the subject of a light controversy in Ottawa. Indeed, the embassy reflects a very American, foreign style at the town of Ottawa. People also complained because the structure hid the sun at the historical market, or worried about possible the terrorist threat against the embassy, and about the dangers that poses with the local stores. The polemic still swelled after the September 11th, 2001, when several roads were blocked around the embassy, encumbering the traffic and threatening the local companies. These days, the traffic on Sunsex Drive was in particular encumbered by the closing of one of the lanes following the order to place additional barriers there.

Many thinks that the embassy is an important component of the city, bringing small more, whereas the others regard this imposing building with the airs of fortress as an insult in the city.

Following the bomb attacks of American embassies in Africa in 1998, serious questions arose when with the finalization of work of the Embassy. There was, in particular, a side of the building exposed to a public street which included/understood many panes out of glass. The price which would have cost the stoppage of the works and the abandonment of this new embassy in however put the term at these questions. It finally was inaugurated by President Bill Clinton on October 8th, 1999. It was the first time in the history of the United States of America which a president inaugurated itself an embassy. Were also present: Jim Watson, then mayor of Ottawa, and the Jean Chrétien Prime Minister.

Related articles

• the United States
• Ottawa
• Canada
• foreign Embassy
• Politics of the United States of America

External bonds

• Site of the Embassy

Sources

• the site Radio-Canada.ca

• Official site of the Embassy