DFAIT Marks Its Centennial: 1909-2009) (DFAIT Marks Its Centennial: Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade 1909-2009) (Organization Overview‪)‬

Canada did not have a foreign ministry (or a foreign policy) when it was created by an act of the British Parliament in July 1867. A semi-autonomous part of the British Empire, Canada relied on London to protect its welfare. However, as Sir John A. Macdonald quickly discovered advancing Canada's national interests required some representation abroad, starting in Britain itself. In 1880, the prime minister established a high commission in London and added a commissioner to France two years later. In 1892, Macdonald created the Department of Trade and Commerce, shortly thereafter sending John Short Larke to Australia as Canada's first trade commissioner. These arrangements were hopelessly inadequate for handling the country's growing international responsibilities. The British ambassador to Washington, James Bryce, distracted by the time he spent on Canada's affairs in the US, suggested that Canada needed "a sort of Foreign Office." Encouraged by the under-secretary of state, Sir Joseph Pope, Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier took up this idea and established the Department of External Affairs in June 1909. This article looks at the evolution of the Department over the last one hundred years. **********