Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland made the announcement of Mia Yen as the new Chandigarh Consul General Monday morning in Ottawa while announcing a slate of Canadian diplomatic appointments. “It’s good to have a career diplomat in this sensitive post,” former Canadian diplomat and retired journalist Bhupinder Liddar told DESIBUZZCanada. The Chandigarh Consul General post has been a coveted one from the Punjabi-Indo-Canadian community with many wanting to be the Canadian power broker in the heart of Northern India, especially Punjab. Federal Liberal supporter Dr. Gulzar Cheema once sought the position and former Liberal MP Herb Dhaliwal’s name also came up for the post recently but it looks like PM Justin Trudeau decided to go with someone who can be more effective as a Canadian ambassador rather than those who seek to wield power.

By R. Paul Dhillon – Editor-Founder DESIBUZZCanada

OTTAWA – Canada has chosen a Chinese-Canadian career diplomat for the much coveted Chandigarh Consult General post.

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland made the announcement of Mia Yen, who replaces the current CG Christopher Gibbins, as the new Chandigarh Consul General Monday morning in Ottawa while announcing a slate of other Canadian diplomatic appointments.

The Chandigarh Consul General post has been a coveted one from the Punjabi-Indo-Canadian community with many wanting to be the Canadian power broker in the heart of Northern India, especially Punjab. Federal Liberal supporter Dr. Gulzar Cheema once sought the position and former Liberal MP Herb Dhaliwal’s name also came up for the post recently but it looks like PM Justin Trudeau decided to go with someone who can be more effective as a Canadian ambassador rather than those who seek to wield power.

“It’s good to have a career diplomat in this sensitive post,” former Canadian diplomat and retired journalist Bhupinder Liddar told DESIBUZZCanada.

“She (Mia) is a well experienced diplomat and has excellent background in trade matters and general foreign affairs issue. She will serve Canada well and wish her a successful and pleasant stay in otherwise dull city Chandigarh,” Liddar added.

Mia Yen is a graduate of Simon Fraser University, 1994 and MLIS, University of Western Ontario, 1999.  She joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade as a foreign service officer in 2001.

At Headquarters, her assignments have included serving as departmental spokesperson, adviser to the deputy minister of international trade, deputy director in the office of the deputy minister of foreign affairs, head of a team responsible for South Asia bilateral commercial relations and senior policy adviser to Canada’s chief trade commissioner. 

In 2009, Yen was seconded to the Privy Council Office, where she served as director of operations of the Afghanistan Task Force and then chief of staff to its deputy minister. 

Overseas, Yen has served as legislative analyst at the embassy in Washington, D.C., and trade commissioner in Kuala Lumpur. In 2012, Yen began serving in Myanmar, where she was tasked with setting up Canada’s new embassy in the country. She was Canada’s first-ever resident chargé d’affaires there before becoming senior trade commissioner and head of mission administration.

In 2016, she returned to Ottawa as director general responsible for Canada’s foreign service directives. Yen was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and is a recipient of the Head of the Public Service (Excellence in Service Delivery) Award.

Here is the full list of Canadian Diplomatic Appointments:

Annie Dubé becomes Consul General in Mumbai (Republic of India). Ms. Dubé replaces Jordan Reeves.

Wendy Gilmour becomes High Commissioner in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Ms. Gilmour replaces Perry Calderwood.

Nicole Girard becomes Consul General in Bengaluru (Republic of India). Ms. Girard replaces Jennifer Daubeny.

Marcy Grossman becomes Consul General in Dubai (United Arab Emirates). Ms. Grossman replaces Emmanuel Kamarianakis.

Diedrah Kelly becomes Ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Jakarta. Ms. Kelly replaces Marie-Louise Hannan.

Pamela O’Donnell becomes High Commissioner in the United Republic of Tanzania. Ms. O’Donnell replaces Ian Myles.

Deborah Paul becomes Ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Ms. Paul replaces Ping Kitnikone.

Rita Rudaitis-Renaud becomes Ambassador to the Republic of Guatemala. Ms. Rudaitis-Renaud replaces Deborah Chatsis.

Mia Yen becomes Consul General in Chandigarh (Republic of India). Ms. Yen replaces Christopher Gibbins.