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SAN DIEGO - 12/16/03 - Canada has opened the doors at its new Consulate in San Diego  with a back-drop provided by the visit of four Canadian warships returning from duty the Arabian Sea.
 
The ships - the HMCS Regina, HMCS Vancouver, HMCS Ottawa, and HMCS Protecteur - sailed into San Diego Bay after completing their mission in assisting the US Navy in the war on terrorism.
Canadian consular staff in Los Angeles scheduled the opening of the new office to coincide with the arrival of the flotilla.
 
Although San Diego has long been a center for scientific development, the burgeoning biotech industry took root in earnest two decades ago when the city began shifting its focus amid downsizing in the US military.
 
Several businesses, including firms from Quebec and Alberta, have contributed to the rapid growth in genome research and the development of new drugs in the city.
 
"The growth in various sectors has prompted the need for a Canadian consulate trade office in San Diego," said Colin Robertson, Canada's Consul General in Los Angeles, who presided over the opening ceremony.
 
"Canada imports more from California than we do from China," he said.
 
"Companies in the life sciences, IT [information technology], and aerospace industries have investments in Canada; partnerships we'd like to enhance and expand as San Diego grows."
More than 100,000 expatriate Canadians live in the San Diego area, according to Canadian Consulate figures.
 
Some of the leading companies in San Diego with interests in Canada include Northrop Grumman Corp., General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Science Applications International Corp., and Qualcomm Inc.
 
David Cerny, an American, is currently the only employee at the new Consulate, but it's expected he will be joined soon by an assistant and a Foreign Affairs staffer.
 
"They wanted someone who understands this area and who understands life sciences; that's me," Cerny said. "My job is to bring companies together."

The new Consulate complements Canada's existing network of diplomatic and trade missions in California in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Jose.

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