High Commission of Canada, London
The High Commission to Canada in London is housed in Canada House, a building located in Trafalgar Square, London.
Canada House was built between 1824 and 1827 to designs by Sir Robert Smirke, the architect of the British Museum. It was originally used by the Union Club and the Royal College of Physicians. The Canadian government acquired the building in 1923. The building underwent restoration work in 1993, and was officially reopened by Queen Elizabeth II, as Queen of Canada, in 1996. To commemorate the re-opening, a detachment from the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry came to London in 1998 mounted the Queen's Guard at Buckingham Palace.
Canada House is the home to the cultural and consular sections of the High Commission of Canada to the United Kingdom. It is very much a public building. It contains the High Commissioner's office, and hosts conferences, receptions, lectures, launches and "vernissages" where Canadians and Britons can meet, and has facilities for film, video and television screenings. The administrative and trade sections are in the High Commission of Canada on Grosvenor Square in London's Mayfair district.
The Canada House Gallery stages temporary exhibitions of historical and contemporary art and artefacts. There is also an information centre, where visitors can sample Canada and Canadians via computer terminals, a reference library and reading room, and music-listening posts featuring the works of Canadian singers, songwriters and musicians.