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Member Profile (Special Edition):
Ambassador Hugues R. Rousseau

Ambassador of Canada to Peru, Hugues Rousseau, his wife Maryse Harvey and his son, Pierre-Charles.

After three short years in Lima, Canada's Ambassador to Peru, Hugues R. Rousseau, his wife Maryse Harvey and their young son Pierre-Charles, are packing their bags and heading for Ottawa, where Ambassador Rousseau will take over as Director of the Foreign Service Training Institute. During his time here, Ambassador Rousseau served as Honourary President of the ACAP, and both he and Ms. Harvey strongly supported our association, including hosting several events at their home. Ambassador Rousseau leaves us with some parting thoughts in this interview with the ACAP Newsletter.

ACAP: Ambassador Rousseau, what were some of your strongest impressions upon arrival to Peru?

Ambassador Rousseau: My wife and I, along with Pierre-Charles, arrived from Chile in August of 2001, exactly one month after the election of President Toledo. I will not forget the amount of optimism permeating throughout the country. One of our goals was to continue improving the relationship between our countries.

ACAP: Many people do not know that you are also Canada's Ambassador to Bolivia. Has it been difficult to manage both responsibilities?

Ambassador Rousseau: Yes and no. I have been to Bolivia 14 times in the last three years. We are fortunate to have an office in Bolivia, staffed by two Canadians and 5 local staff, as well as 12 local staff working at the Canadian Cooperation Office. The only problem with traveling to Bolivia as often as I did is that, unfortunately, I did not travel in Peru as much as I would have liked to. My wife traveled extensively in Peru and became very knowledgeable about the country. Bolivia is a very important country for us: it is home to our largest CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency) program in South America - Peru is the second largest - and it has some potential commercial activity there, particularly in the area of natural gas.

ACAP: Maryse has been very active in supporting you, and has also been very active in supporting the ACAP…

Ambassador Rousseau: Not only was Maryse very active with the ACAP - which I would like to congratulate as being an association that makes all Canadians and Americans feel very welcome upon arrival to Peru - she was also the President of the Asociación de Damas Diplomáticas, which is a large charity organization consisting of the spouses of resident ambassadors. Through all of her activities, she collected enormous amounts of money for different charity organizations in Peru, as well as donated copious hours of assistance.

Mixing work and pleasure

ACAP: You have had contact with the Canadian expatriate community through your assignment to Bolivia and previous work in Chile, can you comment on the similarities and differences with the Canadian community here in Peru?

Ambassador Rousseau: Many of the Canadians who are in the countries that you mention are tied to the mining industry. In Chile, Canadians are the largest investors in the mining industry with 11 billion dollars, the second most important is here in Peru with 4 billion dollars. In Bolivia, the bulk of the Canadian community is very different: there are over 6,000 Canadian Mennonites there who have maintained their citizenship generation after generation. There is an association of Canadian women that is very active in Chile, just as there is here, which represents Canada very well through the work that they do.

ACAP: Do you think that associations like the ACAP have much to contribute to the overall community?

Ambassador Rousseau: I think that just the fact that the association exists is a very positive step. Through it, Canadians and Americans create friendships and this friendship often serves as a bridge in order to make contact with the Peruvian community. The money that is raised and donated to charity is also extremely important.

ACAP: Do you feel that Canada and Peru enjoy a special relationship?

Ambassador Rousseau: I think that we do, especially after what Canada did in the year 2000, when Lloyd Axworthy was Foreign Affairs Minister and visited Peru, and through the outstanding job done by my predecessor Graeme Clark. The people who are in power remember Canada's role in helping to restore democracy to Peru, so there is no doubt that this has facilitated my own access to the government. More and more Peruvians are looking to Canada as a place to emigrate to, and we also have a very aggressive plan to attract Peruvian students to study in Canada. I think that the links are being built on a day-to-day basis. Air Canada's inauguration of direct flight to Peru on Nov. 3 will also help the relationship even further.

The Terry Fox Run A success story held last November. Over 2,000 people participated, raising over CDN$15,000 for cancer research.

ACAP: Is there a project that you are especially proud of?

Ambassador Rousseau: When I arrived here, the President mentioned that three of his priorities were rural electrification, water purification for the city of Lima, and the fight against smuggling and contraband. We have three Canadian companies that are very involved in these projects, which hopefully will be finalized soon. On a lighter note, the Terry Fox Run that we sponsored, and the ACAP supported, was also a successful community event. It attracted three times as many participants as in previous years, and I think it reflected Canadian values of generosity and commitment.

ACAP: Looking down the road, 20 years from now, what do you think will be one of the strongest memories you will have of your time here?

Ambassador Rousseau: Peru will always have a special place in my heart as it was my first assignment as an Ambassador. Also, there is no doubt that we developed some very close friendships that I am sure will continue. I also hope that the country will progress. I know that there is a long way to go, with 54% poverty and high rates of illiteracy, but I hope the country will have prospered, especially through its mining sector and also through its agriculture. So I think in twenty years - or even every single year - I will think about Peru and its progression.

ACAP: When you are back in Ottawa, no doubt your friends and colleagues will ask you “How was Peru”? How will you answer them?

Honorary Past President of ACAP

Ambassador Rousseau: Well, the list of applicants to replace me was very long, so they must already have a very positive image of the country. Of course, Peru is already well known for its cultural heritage and of course for its food. My successor will be extremely busy partly because of the large Canadian investment here, not only in mining, but in printing through Quebecor, which is the world's largest printer, and in electricity through the Hydro Quebec Trans-Mantaro project. So when people ask what I think of Peru, I will tell them that it is a very important country for our relations.

ACAP: When you are snow-bound back in Ottawa, what will you miss most about Peru?

Ambassador Rousseau: The fact that I can play golf 12 months out of the year! (laughter). There is no doubt that, for a golfer, this is quite a bonus. Although I do enjoy winter sports, as well as the four seasons in Canada, one has to recognize that the weather here is exceptional. Even though there are grey skies in Lima a few months out of the year, there are micro-climates all around so you can find the sun most any time.

ACAP: Ambassador Rousseau, thank you very much for the interview and for your support of the ACAP over the past three years. On behalf of the membership, I would like to wish you all the best in your future ventures. Come back and visit us soon. -- Alan La Rue

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