Biden has arrived in Canada: Here's what we know about his visit
Biden has arrived in Canada: Here's what we know about his visit
U.S. President Joe Biden has arrived in Canada, kicking off his short but long-awaited overnight official visit to Canada.
During his stay in the nation's capital, Biden will meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and deliver an address to Parliament on Friday. But, he and first lady of the United States Jill Biden have some other events on their itineraries, where key Canada-U.S. issues and shared priorities will be discussed.
With many layers of preparation underway—from major security precautions and an increased presence of police, including U.S. Secret Service, RCMP, and provincial and local officers, as well as military aircraft in the skies, to extensive road closures—Biden's brief trip will be a significant event in the cross-border relationship.
U.S. flags have been hung up throughout downtown, manhole covers have been forced shut, and the city is bracing for an influx of high-profile visitors.
"It's quite a packed schedule for a short trip," said White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby on Wednesday. "This is a meaningful visit. Canada is one of the United States' closest allies and friends, and has been now for more than 150 years. This will be the first true in-person bilateral meeting between the two leaders in Canada since 2009."
Here's what we've confirmed with senior government officials, and what the official White House program details about what is on the agenda, and what key players are saying about the upcoming visit.
THURSDAY, MARCH 23: BIDEN ARRIVES
The Bidens and the delegation travelling with the president landed in Ottawa on Air Force One on Thursday evening.
Biden was greeted by a welcoming delegation of officials:
Gov. Gen. Mary Simon
Canada's Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland
Treasury Board President Mona Fortier
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly
Foreign affairs parliamentary secretaries, Liberal MPs Rob Oliphant and Maninder Sidhu
United States Ambassador to Canada David Cohen
Chief of Protocol of Canada Stewart Wheeler
At 6:45 p.m. Biden met with the governor general inside the Canada Reception Centre at the Ottawa Airport. Simon's husband Whit Fraser and the first lady were part of this meeting.
Then, Biden will be taken—in his infamous armoured limousine known as 'The Beast'—to Rideau Cottage to meet with Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau. Rideau Cottage is the prime minister's current residence, located on the grounds at Rideau Hall, approximately seven kilometres northeast of Parliament Hill.
There, according to a senior Canadian government source, the two couples will "have an informal meeting." Kirby called it an "intimate gathering."
FRIDAY, MARCH 24: BIDEN'S BIG DAY
Friday is the main day of Biden's visit, and it's largely going to be spent on Parliament Hill.
Kicking off with an 11 a.m. welcoming ceremony inside West Block, the temporary home of the House of Commons, Biden will be greeted by a welcoming party that includes House of Commons clerks, the Usher of the Black Rod, Sergeant-at-Arms, and:
Senate Speaker George Furey
House Speaker Anthony Rota
Government Representative in the Senate Marc Gold
Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Yonah Martin
Facilitator of the Independent Senators Group Raymonde Saint-Germain
Deputy Leader of the Canadian Senators Group Dennis Glen Patterson
Deputy Leader of the Progressive Senate Group Pierre Dalphond
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre
Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May
At 11:20 a.m. POTUS will then have a bilateral meeting with Trudeau in his West Block office, followed by an extended meeting with ministers, taking place in the room where cabinet usually meets at 11:45 a.m.
It's likely that the officials travelling with Biden would also take part. So far we know that his delegation includes: Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.
The Canadian ministers accompanying Trudeau on Friday will be Freeland, Joly, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry Francois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion Mary Ng, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson, and Defence Minister Anita Anand.
All of this will happen in the morning, before Biden’s speech to Parliament, which is scheduled to begin at 1:50 p.m. It's customary for formal addresses from world leaders to include introductory and concluding remarks from parliamentary officials, and for the chamber to be filled with senators, dignitaries, and other key stakeholders or community members with relevant ties to whomever is speaking.
"In his remarks, the president will underscore how the U.S.-Canada partnership benefits not only our two countries, but the entire world. And, that by working together we can address some of the biggest challenges we face," Kirby said.
Following his address—we'll see how long it is, Obama's in 2016 was approximately 50 minutes—Biden and Trudeau will make their way across the street from Parliament Hill, to the Sir John A Macdonald building, for a joint media availability at 3:45 p.m.
There, reporters from the parliamentary press gallery and those travelling from the White House press pool will be able to ask Biden and Trudeau about what was accomplished by the visit and whether there will be any concrete wins or policy moves made as a result.
At some point during his time on the Hill, Biden will have a pull-aside meeting with Poilievre, according to a senior U.S. official briefing reporters. Timing for when this will take place, or where he plans to have lunch, has not been released.
Rounding out his day, Biden, the first lady and the American delegation will attend a "gala dinner" hosted by Trudeau and his wife, that "a few hundred" guests are set to attend. That's happening at the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum, approximately 11 kilometres east of Parliament Hill, at 6:30 p.m.
On the invite list: ambassadors past and present, business leaders, members of Parliament, senators, and representatives of Indigenous groups.
"It'll be a real cross-section of Canada," said one senior Canadian government official briefing reporters on a not-for-attribution basis about the trip.
Biden's current departure time from the Ottawa Airport is 9:25 p.m. on Friday night.
So far neither the White House nor the Prime Minister's Office have confirmed if there will be any impromptu stops during the trip, meaning we'll all have to wait and see whether there will be another 'Obama cookie' moment -- when then-U.S. President Barack Obama popped into a bakery in the Byward Market during his 2009 trip.
While the not-quite two-day trip may seem condensed, Trudeau officials told reporters that they are pleased with the amount of time Biden and Trudeau will have together, while noting that on his past trips, Obama did not stay overnight.
"One of our primary goals of the visit was hoping to be able to share as much time as possible between the two leaders. And that's why we are very happy that president Biden is spending a day and half in Ottawa, which allows three different blocks for the prime minister and the president to spend time together… And that's actually quite a lot of time, several hours where they can cover all the issues they need to cover," said one senior government official.
WHAT WILL FLOTUS GET UP TO?
On Thursday, the Office of the First Lady of the United States released the details of what Jill Biden will get up to on Friday while POTUS is in meetings on Parliament Hill.
Starting at 11 a.m. the first lady will “participate in a spousal program” alongside Gregoire Trudeau. The pair will visit Canadian youth taking part in a curling program and will “host a conversation to discuss youth wellness and mental health.” This will be taking place at the Rideau Curling Club approximately 1.5 kilometres south west of Parliament Hill.
Then at 12:15 p.m. they will travel to the National Gallery near Parliament Hill to visit the “Uninvited: Canadian Women Artists in the Modern Moment” exhibit. At the gallery the two will take part in a luncheon before heading back to the Hill in time for the address to Parliament.
As aforementioned, FLOTUS will accompany Biden to the gala dinner, before taking off to spend the weekend in Wilmington, Delaware.
WHAT ARE THE BIG ISSUES SET TO COME UP?
Without diving into the nitty gritty of all the outstanding trade, economic, and cross-border irritants that could come up during the visit, the broad stroke topics that officials say will be discussed during the visit include:
North American continental and Arctic defence and related spending
Trade, supply chains, and the state of CUSMA/USMCA
Irregular migration and modernizing the Safe Third Country Agreement
Climate change and investing in the clean automotive sector
Addressing inflation and driving growth to create jobs
Threats to democracy such as domestic and foreign interference
Further support for Haiti and Ukraine
It remains to be seen how substantive of progress will be made on these issues, but typically visits of this sort conclude with some form of joint statement outlining any commitments made.
"The Canada-U.S. partnership is forged by shared geography, similar values, common interests, deep personal connections, and powerful economic ties that are critical for so many jobs and businesses in both of our countries," said a senior Canadian government official.
"Throughout the day, the prime minister will highlight Canada's partnership as a source of strength to the United States and our commitment to working closely together on the big serious challenges that we both face, as well as the world faces," the official said.
Kirby said that the two leaders will also talk about stepping up to meet "the challenges of our time," including "driving a global race to the top on clean energy, and building prosperous and inclusive economies."
WHAT ARE KEY PLAYERS SAYING ABOUT THE TRIP?
Ahead of the visit, Trudeau, federal cabinet ministers and the leaders of the opposition parties outlined their expectations, the state of the Canada-U.S. relationship and what hot issues they want to see addressed.
Here's some of what they've had to say.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau:
"We're going to be talking about a lot of things. We will of course be talking about China, but the centre of our conversations will be about jobs and growth, critical minerals and fighting climate change, and continuing to build an economy across our continent that works for all of our citizens… I think the big message is just going to be how we can, and will be working together," Trudeau said on his way into a Wednesday caucus meeting.
Canada's Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman:
"In some respects, I think [the Canada-U.S. relationship] did require rebuilding. I think that, you know, with the previous administration, as people know, we had some important successes, the renegotiation of NAFTA was, was very good. The early days of pandemic management I think was a real success between Canada and the U.S… But it wasn't an administration that was that interested in working with allies to solve certain kinds of problems. Climate change wasn't high on the priority list. They had some skepticism around NATO. And so, there were a lot of these sorts of things that we do together bilaterally, and things that we do together in the world that required a bit of care and attention," she said in an interview on CTV's News Channel on Wednesday, speaking about the post-Donald trump era of Canada-U.S. relations.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre:
"We all know that President Biden is coming this week to visit Canada. Our demands as Conservatives are very reasonable…. We want an end to softwood lumber tariffs so that our forestry workers can get bigger, more powerful, inflation-proof paycheques… We want an end to 'Buy-America' so that our construction workers get powerful paycheques … We want an end to the illegal border crossings at Roxham Road, and across the country… We will stand with the Americans for a stronger military and stronger continental defense to keep all of our people safe," Poilievre said on his way into a Wednesday caucus meeting.
Immigration Minister Sean Fraser:
"Our focus right now is trying to solve a problem and provide a lasting solution. Of course, I expect that there is going to be a lot of attention on all issues tied to the Canada-U.S. relationship, but my focus right now is on solving a challenge for the long-term… The precise nature of how we can help address the issue of irregular migration more broadly is something that we still have some work to do to sort out finally," Fraser said on his way into a Wednesday caucus meeting about the Safe Third Country Agreement and the issues at Roxham Road.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh:
"The number one concern we have is about the approach of the IRA, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the 'buy-American' provisions… We are deeply concerned that the connection between Canada and America is so – we’re so interlinked that a 'Buy-American' provision for infrastructure could mean a serious negative blow to producers in Canada, to workers in Canada. And we want to make sure it’s a North American approach as opposed to a 'Buy-American' approach… We also want to see that Canada responds to the Inflation Reduction Act with real incentives in Canada to encourage and create jobs here to reduce our emissions and ensure there’s good paying jobs
A New Democrat MP is trying to convince his colleagues to change the rules that govern the House of Commons in a series of ways he says would instill 'democratic controls' on the prime minister's 'unfettered' powers.
Monday morning, the Public Service Alliance of Canada announced it had reached a 'tentative' agreement with the federal government for the 120,000 picketing Treasury Board workers who, since April 19, had been engaged in one of the largest strikes in Canadian history. Here's a rundown of the developments from Parliament Hill as they happened.
The House committee studying foreign election interference heard from top 2019 and 2021 Liberal and Conservative campaign directors on Tuesday, with party officials from both camps speaking about the need for politicians to come together to address any "legislative gaps" ahead of the next vote.
In the 2023 federal budget, the government is unveiling continued deficit spending targeted at Canadians' pocketbooks, public health care and the clean economy.
U.S President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have announced updates on a number of cross-border issues, after a day of meetings on Parliament Hill.
Danielle Smith's win in the Alberta election hands her the most starkly divided province confronting any premier in Canada, writes commentator Don Martin.
Special rapporteur David Johnston didn't recommend public inquiry knowing it was a pathetically insufficient response for a foreign democratic assault of this magnitude, writes Don Martin in an exclusive column for CTVNews.ca.
To frame a few new illustrations on pages tucked inside a passport as proof of a Liberal plot to purge the Canadian historical record seems like a severe stretch, writes Don Martin in an exclusive column for CTVNews.ca.
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino is a bright former federal prosecutor, who was destined to be a star in Justin Trudeau's cabinet. But in an opinion column on CTVNews.ca, Don Martin argues Mendicino has taken a stunning fall from grace, stumbling badly on important issues just 18 months into the job.
It's the most peculiar of elections with the frontrunner and her main opponent being the same person, writes columnist Don Martin. 'In the looming Alberta showdown, it's Premier Danielle Smith versus her mouth.'
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he raised concerns about reports that LGBTQ2S+ rights and democracy are under threat in Poland during a Friday visit with its prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, in Toronto.
Air Canada says travellers should be prepared for further flight disruptions as it works to return service to normal following a technical malfunction Thursday.
As more Canadians pass their family cottages down to the next generation, 'major shifts' in the ownership of recreational homes will occur, according to Re/Max. But amid concerns around the cost of housing, some may be wondering whether they can afford to keep that family cottage. Here's what younger generations need to know about inheriting a recreational property and the market today.
A 38-year-old sergeant in the Canadian Army was fined $3,000 and issued a severe reprimand after he made what a military judge described as 'utterly disgusting' anti-Jewish comments while conducting an infantry training course in 2021.
Pierre Poilievre is off to Manitoba to rally Conservative supporters ahead of a byelection that Maxime Bernier is hoping will send him back to Parliament. The far-right People's Party of Canada leader lost his Quebec seat in the 2019 federal vote and lost again in the 2021 election.
The number of people in Canada with inflammatory bowel disease is increasing rapidly and is expected to grow to 470,000 by 2035, according to a new report from Crohn's and Colitis Canada.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he is committed to keeping David Johnston in place as Canada's special rapporteur on foreign interference, despite a majority of MPs voting in favour of his stepping down from the gig.
With dry conditions preventing people from having campfires across the country, some may wonder what they can bring into a campground or if there are alternatives to the traditional flames.
A bronze statue of Queen Elizabeth that was toppled and damaged by protesters two years ago was put back in its place Friday on the grounds of the Manitoba legislature after a lengthy set of repairs.
A bronze statue of Queen Elizabeth that was toppled and damaged by protesters two years ago was put back in its place Friday on the grounds of the Manitoba legislature after a lengthy set of repairs.
A 38-year-old sergeant in the Canadian Army was fined $3,000 and issued a severe reprimand after he made what a military judge described as 'utterly disgusting' anti-Jewish comments while conducting an infantry training course in 2021.
Two passenger trains derailed Friday in India, killing at least 50 people and trapping hundreds of others inside more than a dozen damaged rail cars, officials said.
The U.S. Department of Justice has informed former Vice President Mike Pence 's legal team that it will not pursue criminal charges related to the discovery of classified documents at his Indiana home.
Nearly four years after Jeffrey Epstein's death, thousands of pages of records obtained by The Associated Press are shedding new light on the financier's time behind bars and a frantic response by federal corrections officials to his death.
The FBI is scheduled to bring an internal law enforcement document that some Republicans claim will shed light on an allegation that then-vice president Joe Biden was involved in a criminal scheme on Monday for U.S. House Oversight Chair James Comer and ranking Democratic member Rep. Jamie Raskin to review, spokespeople for the two lawmakers told CNN.
An Alaska fishing adventure became a nightmare for a family of eight when disaster struck one of the two boats they chartered over the Memorial Day weekend, leaving three people dead and two more missing despite a desperate search over hundreds of square miles of ocean.
Border Patrol medical staff declined to review the file of an 8-year-old girl with a chronic heart condition and rare blood disorder before she appeared to have a seizure and died on her ninth day in custody, an internal investigation found.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he raised concerns about reports that LGBTQ2S+ rights and democracy are under threat in Poland during a Friday visit with its prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, in Toronto.
Pierre Poilievre is off to Manitoba to rally Conservative supporters ahead of a byelection that Maxime Bernier is hoping will send him back to Parliament. The far-right People's Party of Canada leader lost his Quebec seat in the 2019 federal vote and lost again in the 2021 election.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he is committed to keeping David Johnston in place as Canada's special rapporteur on foreign interference, despite a majority of MPs voting in favour of his stepping down from the gig.
The number of people in Canada with inflammatory bowel disease is increasing rapidly and is expected to grow to 470,000 by 2035, according to a new report from Crohn's and Colitis Canada.
Racial bias built into a common medical test for lung function is likely leading to fewer Black patients getting care for breathing problems, a study published Thursday suggests.
Researchers at Carleton University's Department of Electronics in Ottawa created a ground-breaking testing device to detect early signs of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s through biomolecular activities in a person’s saliva.
Twitter's head of trust and safety, Ella Irwin, told Reuters on Thursday that she has resigned from the social media company, which has faced criticism for lax protections against harmful content since billionaire Elon Musk acquired it in October.
Deep in an open coal mine in southern Greece, researchers have discovered the antiquities-rich country's oldest archaeological site, which dates to 700,000 years ago and is associated with modern humans' hominin ancestors. The find announced Thursday would drag the dawn of Greek archaeology back by as much as a quarter of a million years, although older hominin sites have been discovered elsewhere in Europe. The oldest, in Spain, dates to more than a million years ago.
In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press, director Christopher Nolan offers a guide to his favourite formats, explaining why it matters and even where he likes to sit so that audiences don't feel like they need a film school degree (or one in theoretical physics) before settling on a theatre.
Cynthia Weil, a Grammy-winning lyricist of notable range and endurance who enjoyed a decades-long partnership with husband Barry Mann and helped write 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling,' 'On Broadway,' 'Walking in the Rain' and dozens of other hits, has died at age 82.
Netflix shareholders voted on Thursday to reject multi-million dollar pay packages for the company’s top executives including for co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters.
Air Canada says travellers should be prepared for further flight disruptions as it works to return service to normal following a technical malfunction Thursday.
The wildfires plaguing residents in Alberta and Nova Scotia are part of a larger trend that's driving up the cost of home insurance as extreme weather becomes more common, insurance experts say.
As more Canadians pass their family cottages down to the next generation, 'major shifts' in the ownership of recreational homes will occur, according to Re/Max. But amid concerns around the cost of housing, some may be wondering whether they can afford to keep that family cottage. Here's what younger generations need to know about inheriting a recreational property and the market today.
The latest sanctions, if any, that the NBA plans to levy against Memphis guard Ja Morant for his second instance of displaying a gun on social media will be announced shortly after the finals, Commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday.
Bianca Andreescu beckoned the partisan Court 14 crowd for noise as she looked to put the finishing touches on a second-round win over American wild-card Emma Navarro.
America apparently needs more car seats. So, when Volkswagen unveiled the ID. Buzz, a retro-styled electric van, last year, it noted that the version for the North American market would be longer and would have three rows of seats.
