Through this virtual consulate, we look forward to extending our dialogue with the people of the Yukon Territory and with others interested in learning more about the Yukon. This site aims to assist the people of the Yukon in accessing relevant information about the United States and to assist Americans interested in finding out more about the Yukon.

Phillip Chicola assumed the position of Consul General at the U.S. Consulate General in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on August 25, 2008. A career officer in the U.S. Foreign Service with the rank of Minister Counselor, Phil Chicola joined the State Department in 1979. Over the past three decades, he has developed broad regional expertise and has dealt with some of Latin America's most difficult questions. He began his career serving as refugee officer for Latin America in the Bureau of Refugee Affairs. He has served as political officer in Guatemala, Chile and El Salvador. In El Salvador, he also served as Deputy Chief of Mission, where he played a central role in U.S. efforts to support the nascent democracy and in facilitating a negotiated end to its civil war. [More]

News & Events

16 December 08
Mapping U.S. and Canadian Waters: Some US-related Conservation Programs at the Vancouver Aquarium
The US Consulate General Vancouver has worked for many years with the Vancouver Aquarium on a number of projects, most recently the annual TD Canada Greater Canadian Shoreline Cleanup. As we approach year’s end, we thought readers would be interested in knowing more about the great bilateral work of the Vancouver Aquarium. The Vancouver Aquarium has a variety of conservation programs that reach throughout British Columbia. Some of the programs reach from the west all the way to the most northern and eastern regions of Canada, as well as into neighboring U.S. states.

Following is a list of programs that reach into the United States’ west coast...[more].

Ask The Consulate - December 2008:
On Protocol

In international politics, protocol is the etiquette of diplomacy and affairs of state. The U.S. Consulate General in Vancouver uses protocol daily in interactions with the other consulates in Vancouver and with the Province of British Columbia. [More].

Barack Obama Wins Historic Election Victory Post Election Analysis - Webcast Read the personal story of America's next leader, Barack Obama Have Your Say - Election Blog Useful Links

30 October 08
Arctic Trip - North Warning System
From October 7 to 10, Terry Breese, the Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) of the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, traveled to the Arctic region of Canada to view first-hand the "North Warning System" (NWS) that Canada and the United States operate as part of their joint defense of North America. This was the first Arctic visit for a DCM, and Breese covered over 5400 miles during the four-day trip. [more]

02-03 October 08
Amin Tarzi Speaks About Afghanistan
Afghan analyst Amin Tarzi directs Middle East Studies at the Marine Corps University. During an October 2-3 visit to Vancouver, he gave a passionate defense for staying the course in Afghanistan in an intense day and a half of meetings with journalists, students, Afghan immigrants and researchers in South Asia. His audiences heard at first hand about Tarzi�s recent trip to Afghanistan and Pakistan. Tarzi commented that assuaging Pakistan about the disputed border with Afghanistan�by working to eliminate Afghan claims to Pakistani territory-- would be key to future regional stability. He suggested that talk of � winning � the war in Afghanistan is misguided. Rather, we should talk of enabling the Afghan government, army and police to establish order in the country. Tarzi�s visit enabled the Consulate General to make contact with key future opinionmakers, namely the graduate journalism students at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) and the University of British Columbia (UBC). It also allowed us to continue conversations with Canadian immigrants, in this case members of Vancouver�s Afghan community. [slideshow] [podcast].

Ask The Consulate - September 2008:
A Journey to Whitehorse

Whitehorse has a population of 24,000 and the Yukon about 32,000. «The federal government pumps in about a billion dollars every year into this territory,» according to a local newsman. «We are well taken care of,» he says «and it’s because the government wants to make sure that the world knows that the Yukon is Canadian.»

Yet, despite the federal infusions, visible also in the infrastructure of First Nations headquarters (I visited two of Yukon’s 14 First Nations), there are economic worries even when manpower is hard to find and further development seems inevitable. AYukon College official told me over dinner on the day of my arrival: «There are young people coming up here who can’t afford the huge jump in housing prices. Mining, which has been the source of growth for decades went into a tailspin but is just now starting to revive (driven by the high price of gold). «. [More].

11 August 08
Two Scientific Cruises to Map Arctic Seafloor
The U.S. Extended Continental Shelf Task Force, chaired by the Department of State, plans two Arctic cruises by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy this summer, one of which will be conducted in collaboration with the Government of Canada. The cruises are part of an interagency effort to collect scientific data about the continental shelf and oceanic basins in the Arctic.
The first cruise, August 14 to September 5 from Barrow, Alaska, will employ a sophisticated echo sounder that will collect data to create a three-dimensional map of the Arctic seafloor in an area known as the Chukchi Cap. This cruise is led by the University of New Hampshire�s Joint Hydrographic Center, with support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. [more] [Related - September 2, 2008].

08 July 08
July 4 Celebrations - Vancouver
The U.S. Consulate General celebrated July 4th in grand style with more than 400 invited guests from British Columbia, the Yukon and other parts of Canada. Guests included eight of ten Vancouver city councilors, several local mayors, seven MLAs including five BC Ministers, and Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs David Emerson. Emerson spoke about the ties that bind Canada and the U.S. and commented that he was honored to wish the United States a happy birthday during his second official event after assuming his duties as Foreign Minister. BC Minister for Intergovernmental Relations Joan McIntyre echoed Emerson's remarks and stressed the positive role the consulate has played fostering dialogue on cross border issues. Consul General Lewis Lukens thanked the American businesses who helped support the celebration and took the occasion to bid adieu to the many close friends and associates gathered at the residence. [Larger Photo].

04 July 08
The many ties that bind Americans and Canadians
Op-ed by Consul General Lewis Lukens in the Vancouver Sun, July 04, 2008 [Read More].

02 July 08
Presidential Message, Independence Day 2008
GEORGE W. BUSH - I send greetings to all Americans on Independence Day.

More than two centuries ago, bold and courageous visionaries pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor in signing the Declaration of Independence. Guided by ancient and eternal truths, our forefathers proclaimed to the world that liberty was the natural right of all mankind and in doing so began one of the greatest chapters in human history. On the Fourth of July, our country commemorates the great achievements of these heroes and reaffirms its unwavering confidence in the power of freedom.

It was the desire for freedom that inspired our Founding Fathers, and it is the belief in the universality of freedom that guides our Nation. On this occasion, we pay special tribute to the men and women of our Armed Forces, both past and present, who have answered freedom's call and defended the values that make America the greatest country on earth.

May God bless America.

14 May 08
U.S. adds Polar Bears to List of Threatened Species
WASHINGTON, D.C. � Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne today announced that he is accepting the recommendation of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dale Hall to list the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The listing is based on the best available science, which shows that loss of sea ice threatens and will likely continue to threaten polar bear habitat. This loss of habitat puts polar bears at risk of becoming endangered in the foreseeable future, the standard established by the ESA for designating a threatened species. [More].
The proposed ESA special 4(d) rule is available at - http://www.doi.gov/issues/polar_bears.html - for a 60 day public comment period.

08 May 08
Minister Baird and Secretary Kempthorne Hold Bilateral Meeting
OTTAWA � Canada's Minister of the Environment, John Baird, held a bilateral meeting earlier today with U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Dirk Kempthorne. The Minister and Secretary were also joined by the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, Mary Simon, as well as a number of officials from both countries.

"Today's bilateral meeting included a number of cross-border issues, including the recent announcement by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) on the status of the polar bear, and other important issues that cross the 49th parallel," said Minister Baird. [More].

Museums Documenting Indigenous Experience On January 30, Dr. Ramiro Matos, Curator for Latin America at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian discussed how museums document the experiences of indigenous peoples. The webcast transcript will be available soon.

9 January 08
Cross-border shoppers are likely to see a new US$5 bill when the bank note starts circulating March 13.The bill will have a new purple tint around President Abraham Lincoln. A big numeral �5� is on the back, not so much a counterfeiting deterrent as an aide for the visually impaired.The many new security features being added to the $5 bill are fully described on the U.S. Department of the Treasury website.

Gregory Almaraz, Resident Agent in Charge of the Secret Service office at U.S. Consulate General in Vancouver, says he and his staff are available to brief merchant and banking groups on the new currency and how to detect counterfeit US currency. Please direct any inquiries to pavancouver@state.gov.