Op-Ed by Lilian Chatterjee, High Commissioner of Canada to Barbados and former High Commissioner to Guyana
As I end my diplomatic career as Canada’s High Commissioner and return to Ottawa at the end of August, I do so with enormous gratitude and pride for the privilege Prime Minister Trudeau bestowed on me over the past 7 years to represent Canada to Guyana, Suriname and CARICOM (2017-2020) and Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean State (2021-2024).
I am humbled by the affection and respect that you have for Canada and our long history with you. You taught me that Canada has been with you for hundreds of years when we – like you – gained our independence from Britain. In the beginning, we traded with you – our cod for your rum – and later traded for other natural resources.
While our relations with you are evolving, we are still here for you and with you. We have recently enhanced collaboration between our governments, demonstrated by the first-ever Heads of Government Canada-CARICOM Summit in Ottawa in October 2023 and multiple Prime Ministerial and Ministerial and citizen visits to and from our countries.
What I have learned from you is resilience – which you have inherited from your ancestors. In the face of adversity, you continue to rebound and build back better. Why? Because you come together as a community. I have seen this repeatedly – when you shared vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic, and most recently, when you provided relief, personnel and funds to those impacted by after Hurricane Beryl because you know that, in spite of your differences , you are neighbours and share the same challenges.
I had the privilege to work collaboratively with both the APNU+AFC and PPP/C governments and worked cordially and respectfully with both President Granger and President Ali and they were both always gracious to me. It is my fervent hope that Guyana can become a beacon to the rest of the world as a country of multiracial and multicultural tolerance by transcending history and forging a future that benefits all Guyanese.
Your culture, warmth and hospitality is legendary. It is what draws our Canadian tourists, snowbirds, businesses, universities and colleges and professionals from every sector to your shores. But this is not a one-way street. Canada has been enriched by your diaspora who have contributed to Canada’s social, cultural and economic mosaic and are now part of our Canadian story. Our intertwined past, present and future collaboration are built on shared values, interests and geographic community that continue to connect us.
So this is not Farewell but À la prochaine. And a heartfelt thank you for welcoming me to your country.
