For the second time in less than a month, the City of Peterborough has welcomed a Consul General to the region.
On Monday (July 8), Mayor Jeff Leal welcomed Baxter Hunt, U.S. Consul General in Toronto, for a day-long visit.
While the U.S. only has one embassy and ambassador in Ottawa, it operates seven consulates in Canada, including the Toronto consulate led by Hunt, a career diplomat in the U.S. senior foreign service who began serving as U.S. Consul General in Toronto last October.
Although the primary purpose of the consulates is to explain and advance U.S. policy and to provide emergency services such as passports for visiting or resident American citizens in Canada and visas for foreign citizens, they also work to advance bilateral trade and commercial activities.
“We are focused on building strong, collaborative relationships and were delighted to be able to showcase the deep connections we share with our American neighbours,” Mayor Jeff Leal said in a media release. “The visit was a welcome opportunity to show off our beautiful, dynamic, innovative community. I look forward to more collaborative conversations and visits.”
On June 13, the city also hosted Siddhartha Nath, Consul General of India in Toronto.
According to the city, both Consul General visits are “part of the City’s efforts to position Peterborough as a destination of choice for innovative business and people as outlined in City Council’s Strategic Plan.”
The city recently assumed responsibility for economic development and tourism from Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED), a non-profit organization that both the city and county of Peterborough had funded for the past 25 years to provide these services. PKED will be dissolving on December 31 following a decision by the city and county to not renew an agreement with PKED to provide funding.
During Monday’s visit, Mayor Leal and Peterborough County Warden Bonnie Clark met and greeted U.S. Consul General Hunt at City Hall, where they discussed the existing relationships with American companies and people in the region.
During his visit, the U.S. Consul General joined a roundtable with Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce members to learn about the region’s business climate and build conversations with local businesses. He also toured the Coca Cola facility, the Flexjet Flying Colours facility at the Peterborough Airport, and the new Canadian Canoe Museum next to Little Lake.
The delegation also had lunch at Burleigh Falls Inn on Stoney Lake, which was closed to the public for the event.
“One of the best parts of my job is engaging with communities and regions such as Peterborough that are creating jobs and economic prosperity in both our countries,” said U.S. Consul General Hunt. “I appreciate the invitation to Peterborough where I have experienced the vibrant community first-hand this summer. The full day engagements highlighted the strong economic ties, people-to-people ties and collaborative spirit between the United States and Canada. I look forward to continuing the many conversations we started today.”
