Could Canadian Consulate Be Next to Leave HSBC Tower?

About 75 people are employed there who deal with a number of issues. CBC quotes senior government officials as saying the official announcement will come next week.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper says his administration is ending the requirement foreigners have to cross the border into Buffalo for interviews regarding requested visa changes. The Harper government says necessary interviews can be done at Canadian immigration offices and foreigner who want to alter their visa can do so online.

The news has Buffalo Niagara Partnership President Andrew Rudnick unhappy. "It's both surprising from a binational diplomacy and trade point of view, and it's disastrous for this binational region's commitment ot expanding all the trade and tourism and recreation that occurs cross border day in and day out," explains Rudnick. He warns this could blunt the economic opportunties on both sides of the border.

As far as trying to stop this, Rudnick says one word best describes it. "Scream," exclaims Rudnick, "and ask all our key elected officials at all levels to scream with us." He says he's also bewildered news of this magnitude is coming from a news report rather than an official statement from the Canadian government.

An HSBC operation and Philips Lytle recently announced respective plans to leave the building.