Wanted: Canadian staff for a three-acre compound that includes a swimming pool, tennis courts, fish pond, restaurant, bar and gardens with an “award-winning design.”
The bad news? It’s in Beijing.
Apparently, the Canadian embassy in Beijing is having trouble with staffing because the air quality is so bad, says the Department of Foreign Affairs according to Blacklock’s Reporter.
In a contractors’ notice about embassy renovations, the department wrote: “Beijing has some of the world’s worst air quality (which) remains a concern for all staff and the Canadian-based families as it has a direct impact on their quality of life, as well as on their respiratory and cardiovascular health, particularly for those with small children, and overall morale.”
Because Beijing relies heavily on coal for power, the smog can reduce visibility to two city blocks on winter days.
The notice continued: “The air quality issue has an impact on staff retention and recruitment, with some staff considering early departure from the Mission and the department experiencing difficulties in filling positions.”
In the short-term, additional air filter machines have been bought and all embassy vehicles have been stocked with face masks.
Previously, China has been praised by Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna for its climate change program after she signed an environmental cooperation agreement with the country in 2018.
“I was in China on a trade mission and saw the rapid shift toward clean energy that country is making,” McKenna told the Commons back then.
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