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is located in a prime location at 501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, between the Capitol Building & the White House. Canada is the first, and so far only nation, to build an embassy so close to the Capitol. Prior to that, they were based in an old mansion on Embassy Row. When they outgrew that building, they spread to other buildings in Washington. The Embassy began searching for a new home in the 1970s, at the same time as the DC government was looking to revitalize Pennsylvania Avenue. So in 1978, a vacant lot was purchased, the new building constructed, & it opened in May 1989. The building was designed by British Columbia architect Arthur Erickson, a decision that generated some controversy as he was handpicked by his friend Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. The site has a large sculpture "Spirit of Haida Gwaii" by famed British Columbia sculptor Bill Reid. Some photos & more info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Embassy_in_Washington
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North America
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