Pierre Pettigrew, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced the following diplomatic
appointments:
Nicholas Coghlan becomes Consul General in Cape Town (Republic of South Africa).
Denis Comeau becomes Ambassador to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic with
residence in Bangkok, Thailand.
Louis-Robert Daigle becomes High Commissioner to the Republic of Mozambique.
Mario Laguë becomes Ambassador to the Republic of Costa Rica.
Louise R. Marchand becomes Ambassador to the Republic of Cape Verde and High
Commissioner to the Republic of the Gambia with residence in Dakar, Senegal.
John McNee becomes Ambassador to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg with residence
in Brussels, Belgium.
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Biographical notes on the appointees are attached.
For further information, media representatives may contact:
Sébastien Théberge
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
(613) 995-1851
Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs Canada and International Trade Canada
(613) 995-1874 http://www.international.gc.ca
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
Nicholas Coghlan (MA [French and Spanish], The Queen’s College, Oxford, 1977;
Postgraduate Certificate of Education, University of Nottingham, 1978) worked as a
teacher in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and in British Columbia before undertaking a
four-year circumnavigation of the world under sail. He joined External Affairs and
International Trade Canada in 1991 and has served abroad in Mexico City, Bogota,
Khartoum and, since 2003, Cape Town. In Ottawa, he served in the Middle East
Relations Division, the South America Relations Division and the Mexico Division.
Mr. Coghlan is married to Jennifer Coghlan. The Office of the High Commission in
Cape Town is being upgraded to a Consulate General.
Denis Comeau (BA [Commerce], University of Ottawa, 1973) joined the Department of
Industry, Trade and Commerce in 1973 and served abroad in Cleveland, Paris, Berne,
Jakarta, Singapore, Washington, Tokyo and as Ambassador in Seoul. In August 2004,
he became Ambassador to Thailand with concurrent accreditation to the Union of
Myanmar. In Ottawa, he served as Deputy Press Officer, Media Relations, Trade and
Competition Advisory Committees Secretariat, and as Director, Japan Division.
Mr. Comeau and his wife, Jocelyne Boulay, have two sons. He succeeds
Andrew McAlister.
Louis-Robert Daigle (BA, Collège de Victoriaville, 1969; BScSoc, Université Laval,
1976) joined the Department of External Affairs in 1976 and served abroad in
Port-au-Prince (twice), Brussels, Yaoundé, Dakar, Nairobi and Kigali. At Headquarters,
he undertook assignments in the Eastern Europe Division, the Francophone Africa
Relations Division, the North American and Euro-Atlantic Security and Defence
Relations Division, and the Central and Francophone Africa Division. He is married to
Catherine Daigle and they have four children. Mr. Daigle becomes the first High
Commissioner of Canada to Mozambique with residence at Maputo.
Mario Laguë (BFA [Cinema], Concordia University). Following a career in the Quebec
provincial government including in the Office of the Premier and in the Ministry of
International Affairs, where he served as provincial delegate to Venezuela and Mexico,
Mr. Laguë ran his own communications firm from 1995 to 1997. At that time, he joined
the Privy Council Office (PCO) as Director General of Communications in the
Intergovernmental Affairs Secretariat, and then became Assistant Secretary to the
Cabinet for Communications and Consultation until December 2003. Mr. Laguë
subsequently served as Deputy Chief of Staff - Communications in the Prime Minister’s
Office before returning to PCO in July 2004. Mr. Laguë and his partner,
Caroline Vu-Nguyen, have two daughters. He succeeds Louise Léger.
Louise R. Marchand (BA, University of Ottawa, 1977) joined the Canadian
International Development Agency in 1977 and served abroad in Dar es Salaam and
Islamabad. In Ottawa, she held a number of positions in the Corporate Branch, in the
Africa and Middle East Branch, with the Australian Agency for International
Development Exchange Program, in the Central and Eastern Europe Branch, and was
Director General, Humanitarian Assistance, Peace and Security Multilateral Branch. In
May 2004, she became Ambassador to Senegal. Ms. Marchand is married to
Alan Smith and they have two sons. Ms. Marchand succeeds Denis Thibault.
John McNee (BA [History], York University, 1973; MA [History], Cambridge University,
1975; Canada Scholar at Cambridge, 1973-1975) joined the Department of External
Affairs in 1978 and served abroad in Madrid, London and Tel Aviv. From 1993 to 1997,
he was Ambassador to Syria. In Ottawa, he served in the Policy Development
Secretariat, on the Prime Minister’s Task Force on International Peace Security, in the
Policy Planning Division, in the United States Transboundary Division and at the Privy
Council Office. He also served as Director, Personnel Division, and Director General,
Middle East, North Africa and Gulf States Bureau, and was Assistant Deputy Minister,
Africa and Middle East. In August 2004, he became Ambassador to Belgium.
Mr. McNee and his wife, Susan, have two children. Mr. McNee succeeds
Jacques Bilodeau.
