Canada’s Trusted Voice in Washington Steps Down
So here’s a major development out of Ottawa and Washington: Kirsten Hillman, Canada’s ambassador to the United States, is stepping down — and the timing has caught just about everyone off guard. Her resignation was announced publicly, but she didn’t offer any specific reason for leaving, only saying she’ll depart in the new year. What makes this especially surprising is that she had been expected to stay on through next year’s crucial review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement, the very trade deal she helped negotiate and defend.
What really adds weight to her exit is the context. Right now, trade talks between Canada and the U.S. have been stalling, and President Donald Trump has been openly musing about letting the agreement expire altogether. For months, he has been using tariffs and the threat of “economic force” as leverage, signaling that he wants more concessions from Canada. Hillman was appointed only recently to co-lead those negotiations alongside Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc, so her sudden departure raises questions about what happens next.
Also Read:In an interview, Hillman said she had already promised Prime Minister Mark Carney that she would stay through the transition period — both the transition of his new government and the transition into Trump’s new term. She said she felt honoured to do that, but that it was now time to “start a new chapter.” Even as she made that announcement, she was still by Carney’s side at major international events, including at a VIP box during the World Cup draw in Washington just days ago.
Her statement struck a deeply personal tone. She called her role “the greatest privilege” of her professional life, and she emphasized how meaningful it had been to represent Canada during such an intense and unpredictable period in Canada-U.S. relations. And it really has been intense. Hillman has been stationed in Washington since 2017, served as ambassador since 2020, and became one of the most influential Canadian figures in the U.S. capital. She built strong relationships across party lines, handled Canada’s responses to U.S. protectionism, and played a key role in renegotiating NAFTA into today’s CUSMA — the same deal currently under threat.
Reactions to her resignation have poured in quickly. Trump’s former ambassador to Canada, Pete Hoekstra, praised her professionalism and said she would be missed. Industry leaders, especially in the auto sector, described her as thoughtful, skilled, and steady. And both Carney and former prime minister Justin Trudeau credited her with helping Canada navigate everything from trade disputes to the release of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor from Chinese imprisonment — something she personally described as one of the most emotional and significant efforts of her career.
Hillman hasn’t said what she plans to do next. She’ll stay on long enough to support her successor, just as her predecessor had done for her. For now, one thing is clear: Canada is losing one of its strongest, most experienced voices in Washington at a moment when the stakes on the Canada-U.S. relationship couldn’t be higher.
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