Bush was a 'friend of Canada' and a fan of Maritime blueberries: McKenna

Remembering George H.W. Bush Steve Murphy chats with former N.B. Frank McKenna about the former U.S. president, who passed away on Friday.

George H.W., the former president of the United States, became friends with former New Brunswick premier Frank McKenna after both men left politics.

McKenna told CTV News that he invited Bush to Brunswick to be a guest speaker at a networking conference.

Bush died last Friday at the age of 94 and his funeral service is scheduled for Wednesday morning in Washington

During his term as president, Bush developed a close relationship with Canada, McKenna said -- not just in politics but in a personal level.

McKenna said the 41^st U.S. president was fond of rose bushes and often shared advice with McKenna and his wife Julie on how to cultivate them by the sea. Barbara Bush and Julie McKenna also became friends and wrote letters to each other.

Bush also became acquainted with John Bragg of Oxford Frozen Foods.

“He started another correspondence with John Bragg, who was at our event and John sold him on the matter of blueberries,” said McKenna who is now theTD Bank Group deputy chair. “They struck up a relationship over some time about the subject of blueberries. I think President Bush was eating blueberries for the rest of his life as a result of that.”