April 30, 2026
To my friends and neighbours in North Vancouver–Capilano,
Today, the Prime Minister announced that I have accepted his invitation to serve as Canada’s Ambassador to the European Union. This is both an honour and a very emotional moment for me and my family, as it means that, in the coming months, I will step down as your Member of Parliament.
I left the private sector in 2015 because I believed public service was the best way for me to tackle the work that has defined much of my life: fighting climate change while building a thriving, low-carbon economy that creates opportunity in all regions of this country. I chose to run here because I believed North Vancouver-Capilano could help lead Canada - and that Canada could help lead the world - in that work. That belief is even stronger today than it was a decade ago.
Over these years, I have had the privilege of serving as your Member of Parliament and as Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard; Minister of Environment and Climate Change; and Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. Together, we have protected our coasts, advanced ambitious climate policy, supported major projects, and helped build a cleaner and more innovative Canadian economy that can compete and win. This work has demanded sacrifices, but I look back with real peace about the choices my family and I have made and with pride in what we have accomplished together.
This decision was not easy. Representing this community and serving all Canadians at the Cabinet table has been the greatest honour of my professional life. But 2026 is not 2015. The world has changed in fundamental ways, and Canada now faces new economic, geopolitical, and environmental tests. Our closest trading relationship has become less predictable, and we are being called to build greater resilience in our economy and international alliances. In this context, the Prime Minister has asked me to take on a different role in service to our country - one that looks outward but is still very much focused on protecting and advancing Canadians’ interests here at home.
My decision to accept this position is based on the same motivation that first brought me into public life: a commitment to Canada and a belief that, at this moment, this is where I can contribute most. The European Union is one of Canada’s key partners - an economic and political bloc that shares our commitment to democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and multilateralism. It is already our second‑largest trading and investment partner, and through CETA, our Green Alliance, and the Strategic Partnership of the Future, we are further deepening our cooperation on trade, clean growth, and economic security. As Ambassador, my role will be to help ensure this partnership delivers concrete benefits for Canadian workers, businesses, and communities - including here on the North Shore.
This role also matters profoundly for our security. In a world of renewed great power competition, war in Europe, and accelerating climate impacts, the EU is a central security and defence partner for Canada. That is true in NATO, in the Arctic, in Ukraine, in cyber and economic security, and in our work to build energy and critical mineral supply chains that support Canadian jobs while reducing our dependence on authoritarian regimes. The Canadian Mission in Brussels is where trade, climate, energy, and security intersect - the very areas in which I have been privileged to serve our country in recent years.
Some may ask why am I leaving now, and why I am, for a time, leaving this community? I am not leaving because my attachment to this place has faded; in fact, it has only grown. North Vancouver-Capilano is where my children grew up and where Tara and I have built our lives. It is where, four times, you placed your trust in me to be your voice in Ottawa.
That trust has underpinned everything I have been able to do up to this point. I am accepting this new role because I believe that strengthening Canada’s position in Europe - on trade, climate, and security - is now one of the most important ways to protect the long‑term interests of Canadians, including the people of this riding.
Public service, at its core, is about answering when your country calls. I have full confidence in the Prime Minister’s judgement about the challenges Canada faces and where I can best contribute. When he asked me to consider this role, I thought carefully about the sacrifices it would mean for my family and for this community, and about the unique opportunity to defend and advance Canadian values and interests at a time when the international order is under strain. Ultimately, I decided to accept not because I thought it would be easy, but because I believe it is important.
In the coming months, I will continue to serve as your Member of Parliament until a formal transition date is set and my seat is vacated. During this time, my constituency office will remain fully engaged, and I will keep working on the local and national issues that matter to you - from housing and transit to affordability and environmental protection. After my departure, there will be a by‑election, and you will have the opportunity to choose the next person to carry your voice to Ottawa. I will not be a candidate in that contest, but I will always remain your neighbour and a proud member of this community.
I owe thanks to many people.
First and foremost, my wife, Tara, and our children, whose love, patience, and good humour have sustained me through long absences, late‑night votes, and the unrelenting pace of public life. I owe them more than I can ever fully express. Similarly, my parents and siblings, whose support through this past decade has been steadfast.
Thank you to the extraordinary team of staff and volunteers who have worked beside me over the years - in the constituency office, in my Ministerial offices, on my riding executive, and on multiple campaigns - and who have done so much to make sure that the people of North and West Vancouver were heard, helped, and well-served.
Thank you as well to my fellow MPs from all parties, who are united in their commitment to serving their communities, and many of whom have become good friends.
Many thanks to the dedicated public servants I have worked with across three ministerial portfolios. I have learned from and greatly valued our work together. Canadians are fortunate to be served by so many thoughtful, committed people working every day to advance our country’s interests.
And most of all, I want to thank you, the residents of this remarkable community, for entrusting me to represent you in the House of Commons and to bring the North Shore’s voice to Ottawa. Together we have faced fires and floods, a global pandemic, and economic uncertainty. We have advanced reconciliation, worked to reduce poverty, and taken on vital questions of social justice. We have also laid a firm foundation for the immense task of transforming our economy in the face of climate change. Through it all, your engagement, candour, and belief that we can always do better have inspired me every single day.
I love this country more deeply than I can fully express. I believe, without a moment’s hesitation, that Canada is the best country in the world - not because we are perfect, but because we face our flaws honestly and never stop trying to do better. Our story is one of resilience, of expanding rights, of building a more inclusive and fair society. Whether that continues will depend on our willingness to stand up for what we believe in at home and abroad: to defend democracy, advance reconciliation, confront the climate crisis, and build an economy that works for everyone.
Serving as your Member of Parliament and as a Minister in the Government of Canada has been the privilege of my life. Serving now as Canada’s Ambassador to the European Union will be a different kind of privilege, but I will bring to it the same sense of duty, humility, and determination. I will carry the lessons, values, and voices of North Vancouver-Capilano into every room and every conversation in Brussels.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for the trust you have placed in me, for your support, and for the countless ways you have shaped me as a representative and as a person. I will always be grateful, and I will always be proud to call this community - and this country - home.
Sincerely,
The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, P.C., M.P.
North Vancouver—Capilano