State Department to Close US Consulate in Winnipeg

A nighttime view of the Winnipeg skyline in a file photo. Pierrette Guertin/Shutterstock

The U.S. State Department plans to close five foreign missions, including one in Winnipeg, as part of its downsizing efforts.

The department said in a note to U.S. congressional committees that it also plans to close consulates in Grenada, Japan, Indonesia, and Cameroon.

“While our physical presence in Winnipeg is changing, our policy priorities in Canada remain steadfast,” said a spokesperson for the State Department in a statement to media.

The spokesperson said that 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,” they added.

While the United States first opened a consulate in Winnipeg in 1873, it closed down in 1986, before a new diplomatic post was created in 2001. The U.S. Mission to Canada said the consulate represented the “importance of Winnipeg’s relationship with the United States, its real potential for business and trade development, and its historical role in U.S.-Canadian relations.”

The Winnipeg consulate worked to explain and advance U.S. policy in Manitoba, promote bilateral trade opportunities, and provide information about the province to policymakers in Washington and at the U.S. embassy in Ottawa.

Canada will still have six other missions in the cities of Toronto, Calgary, Halifax, Quebec City, Montreal, and Vancouver, in addition to the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa.

Manitoba PC Leader Obby Khan said in a statement that the news of the consulate closure was disappointing, and that despite Premier Wab Kinew’s “promises to strengthen our relationship with the United States, Manitoba’s economy is falling further behind.”

Kinew has yet to comment on the closure of the consulate, and his office did not respond to The Epoch Times’ request for comment before press time. Kinew has been critical of U.S. President Donald Trump for imposing tariffs on Canada.

The announcement comes a few weeks after the United States announced additional 50 percent tariffs on certain Canadian goods, including alcohol and dairy products, that are set to take effect on Aug. 19. The United States has said these new tariffs are in response to trade issues like Canada’s supply management system for dairy products, provincial bans on U.S. alcohol, and Ottawa’s counter-tariffs on automotive parts.