Official Delegation (PDF)

Ruth Archibald
High Commissioner of Canada to Barbados
Ruth Archibald joined the Department of External Affairs and
International Trade in 1993. Initially serving with the Government of
Ontario, she worked with a number of political organizations from 1972
to 1988. From 1988 to 1992, she was successively chief of staff in
the offices of the Minister of Employment and Immigration and of the
Secretary of State for External Affairs. Since joining the department,
she has held the positions of director of Migration, Population and
Refugees Division; director general of the Global and Human Issues
Bureau; and senior coordinator, International Crime and Terrorism.
She served as Canada’s high commissioner in Colombo from 1998 to 2002, and also served as high
commissioner to the Republic of South Africa from 2006-2009. She is currently high commissioner to
Barbados, with concurrent accreditation to the Commonwealth of Dominica, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and the three British
overseas territories (Anguilla, British Virgin Islands and Montserrat).
Karen L. McDonald
High Commissioner for Canada to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
Ms. Karen L. McDonald arrived in Port of Spain in December 2008, to take
up the position of high commissioner for Canada to the Republic of
Trinidad and Tobago.
Prior to this assignment, she served as minister-counsellor for Political
and Economic Affairs and Public Relations at the Canadian Embassy, in
Brazil (2005-2008), where she was honoured to be involved in the 2007
State visit of then governor general the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean.
Other diplomatic assignments outside Canada have included serving as
deputy political advisor at the Delegation of Canada to NATO, in Brussels, Belgium (1995-1999),
where she worked on political-military issues. From 1991-1992, Ms. McDonald served as second
secretary at the Embassy of Canada in Bogota, Colombia, with responsibility for Canada’s aid programs
in Colombia and Ecuador.
Within Canada, Ms. McDonald's foreign service career has included assignments as foreign policy advisor
in the Privy Council Office, providing advice to the Prime Minister and Cabinet on western hemispheric
affairs (1999-2001); as chief of staff to the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs (2001-2003); and as
director for Canada-US Affairs (2003-2005). She also served as head of the OAS Unit through three OAS
general assemblies (1992-1995), and as program manager in the Andean Division of the Canadian
International Development Agency (1989-1991).
Ms. McDonald is married to Mr. Bruce White.