High Commission of South Africa in Ottawa
Encyclopedia
The South African High Commission in Ottawa
is the high commission of South Africa
in Ottawa
, Canada
. It is located at 15 Sussex Drive
in the New Edinburgh
neighbourhood of Ottawa. Directly across the street from the embassy is 24 Sussex Drive
the official residence of the Prime Minister of Canada
. East of the high commission is 7 Rideau Gate
, Canada's official guest house. Rideau Hall
is also nearby.
The building was constructed for James Stevenson, the Bank of Montreal
's representative in Ottawa, in 1841. In 1867 it was purchased by Moss Kent Dickinson
an industrialist and mayor of Ottawa.
During the apartheid era the embassy was the scene of frequent protests. When South Africa was expelled from the Commonwealth of Nations
it was reduced to being only an embassy and there was pressure to end diplomatic relations between the country. With the end of apartheid it was restored to high commission status and the embassy received its first black envoy, Billy Modise, in April 1995. A former leader of the African National Congress
Youth Wing, Modise spent 31 years in exile after fleeing South Africa in 1960. The current High Commissioner is Her Excellency Mohau Pheko.
South Africa also has consular offices in Toronto
and Vancouver
.
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
is the high commission of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is located at 15 Sussex Drive
Sussex Drive
Sussex Drive is a major street in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and one of the city's major ceremonial and institutional routes....
in the New Edinburgh
New Edinburgh
New Edinburgh is a small neighbourhood in Ottawa, Canada. It is located to the east of the downtown core. It is bordered on the west by the Rideau River, to the north by the Ottawa River, to the south by Beechwood Avenue, to the east the border is less regular but is marked in part by Springfield...
neighbourhood of Ottawa. Directly across the street from the embassy is 24 Sussex Drive
24 Sussex Drive
24 Sussex Drive is the official residence of the Prime Minister of Canada, located in the New Edinburgh neighbourhood of Ottawa, Ontario. Built between 1866 and 1868 by Joseph Merrill Currier, it has been the official home of the Canadian prime minister since 1951.-History:The house at 24 Sussex...
the official residence of the Prime Minister of Canada
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
. East of the high commission is 7 Rideau Gate
7 Rideau Gate
7 Rideau Gate is the Canadian government's official guest house for distinguished visitors, such as heads of state and high-level government officials...
, Canada's official guest house. Rideau Hall
Rideau Hall
Rideau Hall is, since 1867, the official residence in Ottawa of both the Canadian monarch and the Governor General of Canada. It stands in Canada's capital on a 0.36 km2 estate at 1 Sussex Drive, with the main building consisting of 170 rooms across 9,500 m2 , and 24 outbuildings around the...
is also nearby.
The building was constructed for James Stevenson, the Bank of Montreal
Bank of Montreal
The Bank of Montreal , , or BMO Financial Group, is the fourth largest bank in Canada by deposits. The Bank of Montreal was founded on June 23, 1817 by John Richardson and eight merchants in a rented house in Montreal, Quebec. On May 19, 1817 the Articles of Association were adopted, making it...
's representative in Ottawa, in 1841. In 1867 it was purchased by Moss Kent Dickinson
Moss Kent Dickinson
Moss Kent Dickinson was a Canadian businessman, mayor of Ottawa from 1864 to 1866 and member of the Canadian Parliament from 1882 to 1887....
an industrialist and mayor of Ottawa.
During the apartheid era the embassy was the scene of frequent protests. When South Africa was expelled from the Commonwealth of Nations
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
it was reduced to being only an embassy and there was pressure to end diplomatic relations between the country. With the end of apartheid it was restored to high commission status and the embassy received its first black envoy, Billy Modise, in April 1995. A former leader of the African National Congress
African National Congress
The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
Youth Wing, Modise spent 31 years in exile after fleeing South Africa in 1960. The current High Commissioner is Her Excellency Mohau Pheko.
South Africa also has consular offices in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
.
Related link
- Canada-South Africa relations