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Canada House () is a Greek Revival building on Trafalgar Square in London. It has been a Grade II* Listed Building since 1970. It has served as the chancery of the High Commission of Canada in the United Kingdom since 1925.
When he declared Canada House open, King George said: "Canada is a great country: alike in the literal sense of vast extent from 'sea to sea' and great in achievement and in promise: and it is right and necessary that its official representatives here should be housed in a manner worthy of the Dominion and adequate to the discharge of their ever-growing and important duties."
During the London Blitz, a bomb fell near the building, only away from future Canadian prime minister Lester B. Pearson, who was the secretary to the High Commissioner at the time. Canada increased its presence by acquiring the future Macdonald House, located at 1 Grosvenor Square in Mayfair, in 1961. Good riddance to Grosvenor Square: Canada House is our real home The Globe and Mail, 29 November 2013
In 1993, Canada House was closed by the Canadian government as a cost-cutting measure with the intention of selling it. A change of government in Canada saw this decision reversed and renovations were planned instead, beginning in 1997. The building was officially reopened by Queen Elizabeth II, as Queen of Canada, in May 1998. To commemorate the reopening, a detachment from the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, came to London and mounted the Queen's Guard at Buckingham Palace. Changing the Guard Canada House was closed again in 2010 and re-opened in 2012 for the Diamond Jubilee. It was used as Canada Olympic House during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. The main work of the High Commission, including consular, public affairs, political, trade and administrative functions was then carried out from Macdonald House in Mayfair.
In February 2013, the Government of Canada announced that it would consolidate its diplomatic presence at Canada House and sell off Macdonald House. As part of the plan, the building next door to Canada House, known as 2-4 Cockspur Street, was acquired by Canada in 2013 (until this date 2-4 Cockspur Street served as headquarters of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport). The building at 2-4 Cockspur Street was constructed between 1926 and 1929 for Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada and had served as the Canadian Army's overseas headquarters in London during World War II. Over the next two years, 2-4 Cockspur Street and Canada House were renovated. As part of the renovation, 2-4 Cockspur Street was joined to Canada House in July 2014. In November 2013, Macdonald House was sold, although as part of the transaction the diplomatic staff was permitted to stay until the renovations to Canada House were completed and the diplomatic staff did not move to Canada House until December 2014. Canada.com – Canada sells diplomatic mansion Macdonald House in London to Indian developer for $530M. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
The Canadian High Commission transferred all of its diplomatic functions to Canada House on 15 December 2014. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh once again officially reopened Canada House on 19 February 2015.
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