Consulate General of Canada in Atlanta hosts 156th Birthday Celebration Commemorating 50 years in ATL

Written by Ashante Infantry
Foreign Policy & Diplomacy Service Officer 
Consulate General of Canada in Atlanta

On June 21, 2023, the Consulate General of Canada in Atlanta held a celebration at The Roof at Ponce City Market commemorating 50 years of representation in Atlanta. Over 300 allies from corporate, political, and civic sectors enjoyed a lovely evening alongside expats and media, in recognition of the golden anniversary and the nation’s 156th birthday (Canada Day, July 1). 

“We are more than economies, businesses, and militaries; we are bonded, inseparable and pledged to one another; we are family,” Canadian Consul General James K. Hill told the gathering about the Canada-U.S. dynamic – neighbouring countries which share the world’s longest undefended border.

Attendees included the Premier of Prince Edward Island, Dennis King; Georgia State Representative Kim Schofield; Chief Operating Officer for Georgia’s Secretary of State, Gabriel Sterling; and Atlanta Federal Reserve President Raphael Bostic.

“The Consulate General’s presence in Atlanta has enhanced our city, fostering valued economic exchanges and countless opportunities for growth,” said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens in a recorded video. “We are grateful for your engagement with civil, cultural and social entities that have united our people and strengthened global city ties between Canada and the Southeast United States.”

Also on hand to salute the importance of the Canada – U.S. Southeast relationship was a visiting delegation from the Atlantic Canada region, and a number of Canadian brands with a foothold in the region – including TD Bank, WestJet, Air Canada, Flow, BMO, Avison Young and Tim Hortons. Several of the companies supplied draw prizes of airline tickets, food and beverages. Saskatchewan’s Tenille Arts, a Canadian singer residing in Nashville, Tennessee, performed a short set. 

Prompted by the growing ties between Canada and the Southeast U.S., and the high level of industrial and commercial activities in the region, Canada’s Consulate General in Atlanta officially opened in January 1973, in the presence of then-Canadian Ambassador Marcel Cadieux and Atlanta Mayor Sam Massell. 

As the Consulate grew with the city – expanding its trade promotion objective to include engagement with leading cultural, civil society, education, health and political institutions – the economic ties between Canada and the Southeast U.S. ballooned. The Consulate now covers six states in the U.S. Southeast – Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina. There are over 1200 Canadian-owned businesses operating in the Southeast, employing over 120,00 Americans. From its Atlanta headquarters, the Consulate continues to support countless economic exchanges, assisting Canadian companies who see the value in doing business in the Southeast. Annual bilateral trade with Canada continues to skyrocket, growing by an incredible 20% from 2021 – 2022, and standing at a little over US$60 billion.