To St. Lucia…with love from Canada

As I conclude my diplomatic career as Canada’s High Commissioner and return to Ottawa, it is with great gratitude and pride that I thank Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for the honour he has bestowed upon me over the past seven years, representing Canada to Guyana, Suriname and CARICOM (2017-2020), and to Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (2021-2024).

I am humbled by your love and respect for Canada and our long history with it. You tell me that Canada has lived with you for hundreds of years and that we, like you, gained our independence from Britain. Initially, we traded with you, exchanging our cod for your rum and later for other natural resources. In the early 1960s, Prime Minister John Diefenbaker’s government gifted the Federation of the West Indies two multipurpose ships, the Federation Palm and the Federation Maple Leaf, which you used as ferries to connect you to neighboring islands. During Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau’s tenure (in the 1970s and 1980s), we worked with you to build schools, airports and even legislatures.

Even as our relationship with you evolves, we remain here for you and with you. We have recently strengthened cooperation between our two governments, as evidenced by the first Canada-CARICOM Summit in Ottawa, Canada, in October 2023, and the numerous exchanges of visits between our Prime Ministers, Ministers, and citizens.

What I’ve learned from you is resilience. In the face of adversity, you bounce back and rebuild beautifully. Why? Because you come together as a community. I’ve seen this time and again – during the COVID-19 pandemic, as you shared vaccines, and more recently, as you provided relief, personnel, and funding to the victims of Hurricane Beryl, because you know that despite your differences, you are neighbors facing the same challenges.

Your Caribbean culture, warmth and hospitality are legendary. It is what attracts Canadian tourists, migrants, businesses, universities and colleges, and professionals from all walks of life to your shores. But it is not a one-way street. Canada is enriched by your diaspora, who contribute to our culture and economy and are now part of our Canadian story. Our intertwined past, present and future collaborations are built on shared values, interests and geographic communities that will continue to bind us together.

On a personal note, I have been blessed to be welcomed by so many of you who have helped me understand and appreciate St. Lucia. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for welcoming me to your country. It is the honor of a lifetime to represent Canada.

So this is not a farewell, but a cordial farewell!

Mr. Lillian Chatterjee High Commissioner of Canada to Barbados and Ambassador of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States to the Eastern Caribbean.