The Canadian Embassy in Mexico City was inaugurated in 1982 by Pierre Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, and José López Portillo, President of Mexico. The building was designed by Winnipeg native architect Etienne Gaboury. It incorporates various metaphors from the Canadian landscape, while maintaining a contemporary interpretation of the architecture of the Spanish colonial era.
In the design of the building, the architect incorporated the shape of triangles, in the designs of the floor, ceiling, windows and skylights.
The atrium houses a magnificent Totem Pole, one of the most recognized symbols of the traditional tribes of the western coast of Canada. This unique Totem was carved by members of the Hunt family of the Kwakwaka’wakw nation in British Columbia, following traditional customs. The figure at the top represents the Thunderbird, a mythical bird that uses its wings to imitate thunder and shoots rays from its eyes. The second engraving is of a Killer Whale, considered the most powerful creature in the sea and the guardian of the family. The third is a “Sun Man”, reflecting rays of sunlight from his face. The last figure is of an indigenous chief, and it means that where the Totem is located it is the property of the Government of Canada which, in the case of the Embassy, represents the people of Canada.
