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Tom Clark, Consul General of Canada in New York, attends the the Service Employees International Union's (SEIU) Quadrennial North American Convention In Philadelphia on May 21, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
The Canadian government made some diplomatic changes this week by replacing its consul general in New York City and appointing a former Liberal minister as consul general in Los Angeles.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand announced four new appointments in the United States on July 14. Only one of the individuals appointed is a career diplomat.
Susannah Pierce, an oil and gas executive who has worked for Shell Canada Limited and LNG Canada, will be replacing former broadcast journalist Tom Clark as consul general in New York City.
Former Brampton Liberal MP Kamal Khera, who has held three different cabinet portfolios including health minister, will become consul general in Los Angeles. Khera was first elected in 2015 and lost her riding to the Conservatives by less than a thousand votes in 2025.
Khera said she’s “honoured to join Team Canada” and thanked Prime Minister Mark Carney for the appointment. “I look forward to working with Ambassador [Mark] Wiseman to strengthen the Canada-U.S. relationship & create new opportunities for Canadians,” she said on social media on July 14.
Claire Bennett, a former lead director of the Board of Canada’s Board of Directors, has been appointed as consul general in Chicago.
Andrea Clements is the only career diplomat in the cohort and will take the consul general post in Detroit.
Consulates general are often located in major cities outside a country’s capital, while embassies are usually located in the capital city. Consulates offer services to Canadian citizens abroad such as renewing passports and also play a role in maintaining ties with local jurisdictions and promoting Canadian interests abroad.
The diplomatic shake-up at Canadian missions south of the border comes two weeks after the July 1 review of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) on free trade. Canada and Mexico want to renew the agreement for another 16 years, whereas the United States said it doesn’t want to renew it “in its current form.
The United States has a number of trade issues it wants to resolve with Canada, whereas Canada wants to be exempt from universal U.S. tariffs on steel, aluminum, autos, and lumber.
Condo Controversy
Canada’s consulate in New York City had become embroiled in a controversy in recent years pertaining to a plan to replace the consul general’s residence. Conservatives accused the government of wasting taxpayers’ money on a luxury residence at a time when Canadians face affordability concerns.
Tom Clark, a former host for CTV and Global appointed to the role in 2023, was called to testify before parliamentarians over the issue and rejected calls by Conservatives to resign.
Internal records showed that Clark had expressed concerns regarding his living arrangement, saying it was “not suitable as a residence.”
Global Affairs Canada (GAC) said the condo on Park Avenue did not comply with Canada’s accessibility legislation and that savings would be made by purchasing a new luxury condo given the extent of renovations required in the old one.
Under questioning by MPs, Clark said in 2024 he had “no role whatsoever” in GAC’s decision to sell the consul’s residence and purchase the new condo on “Billionaire’s Row” in Manhattan for $9 million.
The former residence of the consul general in New York was sold in recent weeks after spending two years on the market, with a reported price of US$8.05 million.
