Presidents and Prime Ministers
Today is July 1st, Canada Day, Canada's birthday, the 145th anniversary of the day that Canada became a country. Previously Canada, like the United States, had been a colony of Great Britain. Canada was able to achieve its independence not by war, but by negotiation, diplomacy and conferences, the boring but bloodless kind of independence.
Since the time that the first Canadian Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, adopted an attitude of mutual coolness with Ulysses Grant, a strong relationship between the two neighbours has grown, especially when it comes to trade, cooperation in national defence, and in other areas as well.
Early in 1871, Macdonald went to Washington to discuss trade, especially fishing rights, with the United States government, with the goal of working out some sort of trade deal. Relations between Canada and the United States were dicey at best in those days because President Grant envisioned Canada being annexed by the United States at some point in time.
When Macdonald arrived in Washington, he was not officially welcomed by Grant nor by any other U.S. official. During his eleven-day stay, Macdonald proved to be a lone voice in trying to protect Canadian interests. Neither the British nor the Americans were in favor of the suggestions he made to protect Canada's rights. Grant was aloof for most of the visit and only met Macdonald twice, once to be introduced and another time to say goodbye. Macdonald apparently didn't think much of Grant either. According to author Lawrence Martin (author of The Presidents and the Prime Ministers: Washington and Ottawa Face to Face: The Myth of Bilateral Bliss) Grant's views on Canada and his desire to take over the baby country were probably the reasons why Grant was so cool to Macdonald.
The partnership of Franklin D.Roosevelt and Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King was an interesting one, as both men dominated their respective governments for much of the Great Depression and the Second World War. Each was the longest-serving leader of their respective nation, Roosevelt for 12 years and King for 22 years.
Warren Harding made the first presidential visit to Canada on a Vancouver stopover from Alaska in 1923, but Roosevelt made the first consequential visit to Canada in Quebec City in 1936. “I have never heard a Canadian refer to an American as a ‘foreigner,’” Roosevelt said in Quebec City. “He is just an ‘American.’ And in that same way, in the
United States, Canadians are not ‘foreigners,’ they are ‘Canadians.’”
Things have not always been so friendly, especially when the leaders came from opposite ends of the political spectrum. For example, in 2002 when Françoise Ducros, a top aid to then Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, called President Bush "a moron," while Bush's staff called Chretien "dino", short for dinosaur.
Even earlier than this there were times when things were less than cordial. In a 1961 speech to the Canadian Parliament, President John F. Kennedy characterized the relationship between the U.S. and Canada by saying: "Geography has made us neighbours, history has made us friends, economics has made us partners, necessity has made us allies." But privately Canadian Prime Minister John Diefenbaker said of President John F. Kennedy: "He's a hothead. He's a fool – too young, too brash, too inexperienced and a boastful son of a bitch!"
In 1965 at the height of the Vietnam War, Prime Minister Lester Pearson (winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in making Canada a leader in peace-keeping forces) visited President Lyndon Johnson at the White House. Pearson gave a scathing speech one night about the war, then appeared at the White House the next day to confront a livid Johnson. As Martin describes it, LBJ grabbed Pearson by the shirt collar, lifted the prime minister off the floor and shouted, "You pissed on my rug!"
In 1969 Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau told the National Press Club in Ottawa that living next to the U.S. "is in some ways like sleeping with an elephant. No matter how friendly or temperate the beast, one is affected by every twitch and grunt." Two years later, in 1971 it was revealed that President Richard Nixon called Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau "an asshole" in his private tapes. Trudeau replied, "I've been called worse things by better people." Later that year: After Trudeau left a session with Nixon in the Oval Office, and Nixon said to H.R. Haldeman, his chief of staff: "That Trudeau, he's a clever son of a bitch." Trudeau so infuriated Nixon during the visit that Nixon called him "a pompous egghead" and told Haldeman: "You've got to put it to these people for kicking the U.S. around after what we did for that lousy son of a bitch. Give it to somebody around here." This was when Nixon ordered Haldeman to plant a negative story about Trudeau with columnist Jack Anderson.
Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and President Ronald Reagan had a very strong relationship, likely because of their common conservative point of view. At one function on St. Patrick's day in 1985 when Reagan was visiting Canada, the two men joined together to "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling." Mulroney would later speak at Reagan's funeral. In September of 2000 George H. Bush and his wife Barbara attended the wedding of Caroline Mulroney.
In 2001, following the September 11th tragedy, thousands or airline travellers were diverted to Canadian airports and given assistance, President George W. Bush, in a speech to Congress, thanked countries all over the world for standing with the United States in its fight against terror after the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. He did not mention Canada. Some perceived this as a snub, but an aide to Prime Minister Jean Chrétien said: "If it is anything, it is an indication that our support goes without saying." The aide was Françoise Ducros.
In November of 2004, Bush received a chilly reception in Ottawa when he made his first state visit to Canada. About 5,000 protesters turned up on Parliament Hill, and a smaller group clashes with police outside the Chateau Laurier hotel.
On July 6, 2006, current Prime Minister Stephen Harper made his first official visit to Washington on Bush's 60th birthday. Harper was given the honour of staying at Blair House, the official White House guest quarters. The prime minister came bearing birthday gifts for Bush: a Calgary Stampede belt buckle and an RCMP Stetson hat. The two bantered while talking to reporters after their quick, all-business meeting, with Bush referring to Harper as "Steve."
By all accounts, Harper had a warm personal relationship with Bush. At their first official meeting, they toured the ancient Mayan ruins along with then Mexican President Vicente Fox. All three were in casual attire — khaki pants, white shirts, Harper in a safari-style vest — for a summit meeting to promote North American unity. Bush described Harper as someone in many ways like himself, saying they shared "mutual values" and "respect for human life and human dignity."
The future of relations between the two countries has many unknowns. Recently Canada is attempting to become a part of a free trade with China and other Pacific rim nations, and there are concerns that this will decrease trade between the two nations, with harm to the US economy from lost trade with Canada. The two nations have differing points of view on fundamental issues such as same-sex marriage, decriminalization of marijuana and socialized health care. But it's more likely that our similarities will exceed our differences and the prophetic words of John Kennedy will continue to characterize this neighbourly relationship.
Since the time that the first Canadian Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, adopted an attitude of mutual coolness with Ulysses Grant, a strong relationship between the two neighbours has grown, especially when it comes to trade, cooperation in national defence, and in other areas as well.
Early in 1871, Macdonald went to Washington to discuss trade, especially fishing rights, with the United States government, with the goal of working out some sort of trade deal. Relations between Canada and the United States were dicey at best in those days because President Grant envisioned Canada being annexed by the United States at some point in time.
When Macdonald arrived in Washington, he was not officially welcomed by Grant nor by any other U.S. official. During his eleven-day stay, Macdonald proved to be a lone voice in trying to protect Canadian interests. Neither the British nor the Americans were in favor of the suggestions he made to protect Canada's rights. Grant was aloof for most of the visit and only met Macdonald twice, once to be introduced and another time to say goodbye. Macdonald apparently didn't think much of Grant either. According to author Lawrence Martin (author of The Presidents and the Prime Ministers: Washington and Ottawa Face to Face: The Myth of Bilateral Bliss) Grant's views on Canada and his desire to take over the baby country were probably the reasons why Grant was so cool to Macdonald.
The partnership of Franklin D.Roosevelt and Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King was an interesting one, as both men dominated their respective governments for much of the Great Depression and the Second World War. Each was the longest-serving leader of their respective nation, Roosevelt for 12 years and King for 22 years.
Warren Harding made the first presidential visit to Canada on a Vancouver stopover from Alaska in 1923, but Roosevelt made the first consequential visit to Canada in Quebec City in 1936. “I have never heard a Canadian refer to an American as a ‘foreigner,’” Roosevelt said in Quebec City. “He is just an ‘American.’ And in that same way, in the
United States, Canadians are not ‘foreigners,’ they are ‘Canadians.’”
Things have not always been so friendly, especially when the leaders came from opposite ends of the political spectrum. For example, in 2002 when Françoise Ducros, a top aid to then Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, called President Bush "a moron," while Bush's staff called Chretien "dino", short for dinosaur.
Even earlier than this there were times when things were less than cordial. In a 1961 speech to the Canadian Parliament, President John F. Kennedy characterized the relationship between the U.S. and Canada by saying: "Geography has made us neighbours, history has made us friends, economics has made us partners, necessity has made us allies." But privately Canadian Prime Minister John Diefenbaker said of President John F. Kennedy: "He's a hothead. He's a fool – too young, too brash, too inexperienced and a boastful son of a bitch!"
In 1965 at the height of the Vietnam War, Prime Minister Lester Pearson (winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in making Canada a leader in peace-keeping forces) visited President Lyndon Johnson at the White House. Pearson gave a scathing speech one night about the war, then appeared at the White House the next day to confront a livid Johnson. As Martin describes it, LBJ grabbed Pearson by the shirt collar, lifted the prime minister off the floor and shouted, "You pissed on my rug!"
In 1969 Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau told the National Press Club in Ottawa that living next to the U.S. "is in some ways like sleeping with an elephant. No matter how friendly or temperate the beast, one is affected by every twitch and grunt." Two years later, in 1971 it was revealed that President Richard Nixon called Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau "an asshole" in his private tapes. Trudeau replied, "I've been called worse things by better people." Later that year: After Trudeau left a session with Nixon in the Oval Office, and Nixon said to H.R. Haldeman, his chief of staff: "That Trudeau, he's a clever son of a bitch." Trudeau so infuriated Nixon during the visit that Nixon called him "a pompous egghead" and told Haldeman: "You've got to put it to these people for kicking the U.S. around after what we did for that lousy son of a bitch. Give it to somebody around here." This was when Nixon ordered Haldeman to plant a negative story about Trudeau with columnist Jack Anderson.
Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and President Ronald Reagan had a very strong relationship, likely because of their common conservative point of view. At one function on St. Patrick's day in 1985 when Reagan was visiting Canada, the two men joined together to "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling." Mulroney would later speak at Reagan's funeral. In September of 2000 George H. Bush and his wife Barbara attended the wedding of Caroline Mulroney.
In 2001, following the September 11th tragedy, thousands or airline travellers were diverted to Canadian airports and given assistance, President George W. Bush, in a speech to Congress, thanked countries all over the world for standing with the United States in its fight against terror after the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. He did not mention Canada. Some perceived this as a snub, but an aide to Prime Minister Jean Chrétien said: "If it is anything, it is an indication that our support goes without saying." The aide was Françoise Ducros.
In November of 2004, Bush received a chilly reception in Ottawa when he made his first state visit to Canada. About 5,000 protesters turned up on Parliament Hill, and a smaller group clashes with police outside the Chateau Laurier hotel.
On July 6, 2006, current Prime Minister Stephen Harper made his first official visit to Washington on Bush's 60th birthday. Harper was given the honour of staying at Blair House, the official White House guest quarters. The prime minister came bearing birthday gifts for Bush: a Calgary Stampede belt buckle and an RCMP Stetson hat. The two bantered while talking to reporters after their quick, all-business meeting, with Bush referring to Harper as "Steve."
By all accounts, Harper had a warm personal relationship with Bush. At their first official meeting, they toured the ancient Mayan ruins along with then Mexican President Vicente Fox. All three were in casual attire — khaki pants, white shirts, Harper in a safari-style vest — for a summit meeting to promote North American unity. Bush described Harper as someone in many ways like himself, saying they shared "mutual values" and "respect for human life and human dignity."
The future of relations between the two countries has many unknowns. Recently Canada is attempting to become a part of a free trade with China and other Pacific rim nations, and there are concerns that this will decrease trade between the two nations, with harm to the US economy from lost trade with Canada. The two nations have differing points of view on fundamental issues such as same-sex marriage, decriminalization of marijuana and socialized health care. But it's more likely that our similarities will exceed our differences and the prophetic words of John Kennedy will continue to characterize this neighbourly relationship.