Roy William Blake

Roy William Blake (7 March 1906 – 11 July 1994)[1][2] was a Canadian diplomat. Born near London, Ontario, Blake was a graduate of the University of Saskatchewan.[3] During World War II Blake served as a captain in the Saskatoon Light Infantry.[4] While serving in Italy he suffered an injury which permanently crippled him.[5]

Captain Roy Blake promoting Victory Loans in 1944.

In 1954 Blake was the Canadian Trade Commissioner to Australia. That year, Blake, his wife, and their two sons embarked on a five-month world tour which was described as part business trip and part holiday.[6][7] Blake toured industrial centres in Canada to discuss trade with Australia.[8]

Blake stayed in Australia until at least 1956[9] but by 1957 had moved to Port of Spain, Trinidad where he was Trade Commissioner to the Caribbean countries.[10] That year Blake published a report in the Canadian Foreign Trade journal reporting that subsidised flour from the United States was hurting Canadian wheat and flour sales to that region.[10]

In 1960, as an assistant director of the Department of Trade and Commerce, Blake led a trade mission to Britain.[11] Later, Blake and his family spent two and a half years in Kingston, Jamaica, where he was again commercial counselor.[12] For some months in 1962 Blake was acting High Commissioner to Jamaica until he was replaced by the permanent appointee to that post, Graham Campbell McInnes.[13][14]

In 1964 Blake was appointed Consul General to West Germany.[12][15] From 1967 until 1969 Blake was Consul General to Italy.[16][17]