WINNIPEG – The U.S. consulate in Winnipeg has supported Americans and trade ties between the two nations for more than 20 years, but it will soon be closing its doors. A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department confirmed to CTV News Tuesday that it’s planning on closing its post in Winnipeg. “While our physical presence in Winnipeg is changing, our policy priorities in Canada remain steadfast,” the spokesperson said. Earlier in the day, Reuters reported the State Department sent a notice to U.S. congressional committees late last week that it planned to close its posts in: While the move comes amid strained bilateral relations, the State Department spokesperson told CTV News the planned closure “reflects our commitment to efficient resource management.” “We value the contributions of our local personnel at U.S. Consulate Winnipeg and thank them for their work and contributions to our deep bilateral relations with Canada,” the spokesperson said. Winnipeg closure ‘a shame’: professor Andrea Charron, a professor and director of the Centre of Defence and Security Studies at the University of Manitoba, says the move by the U.S. ignores Winnipeg’s strategic role, including its Norad operations and cross-border partnerships. “It’s a shame that we won’t have direct U.S. representation in the city,” said Charron. “This is incredibly shortsighted, and I really hope this isn’t just some emotional outburst. I really do hope there’s some strategic thinking behind here, because if not, this shows allies that the U.S. is ready to drop us at a moment’s notice.” Winnipeg is home to the smallest U.S. diplomatic office in Canada. It was opened in 2001, with the goal of promoting business and trade between the U.S. and Manitoba. Previously, the U.S. had an official presence in Winnipeg for 113 years before the consulate was closed in 1986. Canada will still have six other missions in Toronto, Calgary, Halifax, Quebec City, Montreal and Vancouver, all of which have consulates general. The U.S. Embassy in Ottawa would also stay open. But Charron says this closure will have an immediate impact for those who work closely with the U.S. consulate in Winnipeg. “This means more attention is going to shift to the Embassy in Ottawa, and Ottawa is very far away from Winnipeg, and the U.S. embassy has only so many representatives,” she said. “Here in Winnipeg, we host a significant number of U.S. military personnel.” Manitoba committed to ‘rebuilding’ presence in U.S. The Manitoba government says it has taken significant steps to strengthen the province’s international trade relationships with the U.S., including reopening Manitoba’s trade office in the U.S., which is being led by Richard Madan. “We are committed to rebuilding Manitoba’s presence in Washington and around the globe,” a statement from a government spokesperson said. “We have been working directly with stakeholders through our U.S. Trade Council to stand up for Manitoba workers and businesses. The U.S. consulate is under federal jurisdiction and operates separately from Manitoba’s trade office, so this development does not change its role.” According to The Canadian Press, Manitoba Progressive Conservative Leader Obby Khan says the decision to close the American office is disappointing. “Despite his promises to strengthen our relationship with the United States, Manitoba’s economy is falling further behind — and businesses and families are paying the price,” he said in a statement on Tuesday. CTV News political analyst Eric Ham says he’s surprised the move to begin shutting down offices in some places took this long. “We know that this is something that, when the president came into office and with the creation of DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), that there would be massive, massive cuts all throughout the government,” he said, adding that this could be part of more downsizing within the U.S. bureaucracy. With files from Reuters and The Canadian Press
