Ottawa, February 18, 2021

AMBCANADA, the Canadian Ambassadors Alumni Association, today revealed the names of its newest Ambassadors of Note. They will join the twenty Ambassadors who were honoured in 2019 as distinguished men and women diplomats who, as Canadian heads of mission and through their accomplishments and careers, served to advance Canada’s interests and place in the world.

The 2020 Ambassadors of Note are:

1. James Bartleman 2. Michael Bell 3. Donald Campbell

4. Raymond Chrétien 5. Léonard Legault 6. Jules Léger

7. Marie-Lucie Morin 8. Herbert Norman 9. James H. (Si) Taylor

10. L. Dana Wilgress

The Awards were presented virtually at an event attended by over 100 persons. AMBCANADA President Abbie Dann gave the introductory remarks, positioning the Awards as part of the Association’s objective to raise understanding of the importance of Canada’s diplomatic service. The ceremony was hosted by Gary J. Smith and Anne Leahy, both AMBCANADA Board Directors. Of the five living Ambassadors of Note, four were present to accept their awards.

“AMBCANADA would like to improve the public’s understanding and appreciation for the importance of Canada’s diplomacy and its diplomats. I can think of no better way to demonstrate this by honouring the role of individual men and women who were leaders in our diplomatic service and who played a significant part in building our international reputation. The Ambassadors of Note are great Canadians. I invite everyone to learn more about them and about Canadian diplomacy.” Abbie Dann, President AMBCANADA

“ … diplomats can expect to be judged by the public, by their political masters, by the media, by foreign governments and peoples and by their peers. But the judgment of their peers will have a special value of its own, since it will be the judgment of those who have shared the life and work of diplomacy, and who know it best. Hence the value of these awards.” James H. “Si” Taylor, 2020 Ambassador of Note

Photos and biographies of each Ambassador of Note can be found on the AMBCANADA website ambcanada.ca/ambassadors/

The Ambassadors of Note Awards were established in 2019 by the then named Retired Heads of Mission Association to mark the 110th anniversary of the creation of the Canadian Department of External Affairs in 1909 and to enhance public understanding of the vital role that diplomacy and diplomats play in advancing Canada’s national interests and its place in the world. With these same objectives, the newly named Canadian Ambassadors Alumni Association (AMBCANADA) decided to add an additional ten names, bringing the total to thirty Canadian “Ambassadors of Note”.

Members of the Canadian Ambassadors Association, numbering almost three hundred, were invited to submit nominations, while a small committee of the AMBCANADA Board of Directors made the final selection.

In addition to the AMBCANADA website, for all media enquires please contact AMBCANADA Board Director Lillian Thomsen at 613-983-9483 or at lillianthomsenottawa@gmail.com.