Biden's visit an 'authentic' expression of Canada's importance to U.S.: ambassador
Biden's visit an 'authentic' expression of Canada's importance to U.S.: ambassador
WASHINGTON -
The federal Liberals aren't the only ones declaring U.S. President Joe Biden's visit to Ottawa a triumph for Canada-U.S. relations: Washington's envoy, too, described it Friday as an "overarching success."
Biden got what he wanted on several issues, including a clear timeline on key aspects of upgrading Norad, progress on critical minerals and signs the two countries are ever more aligned on China, said U.S. ambassador David Cohen.
On Norad, "the lingering issue of ongoing discussion -- it wasn't a point of contention -- was the timing of some of the commitments and what some of the commitments meant in terms of ... dollars," Cohen said.
Those commitments include a $7-billion plan that includes the first of new over-the-horizon radar systems within the next five years, with other upgrades to be completed in time for Canada to welcome its new F-35 fighters.
"For the first time, there is a clear date attached to the operability of at least the first of those (over-the-radar upgrades) being 2028, and that is the year that Norad was looking for."
Canada has also promised other Norad improvements, including a $7.3-billion refit for the system's northern forward operating locations, will be ready for the new fleet of jets which are to be fully operational by 2034.
The conversations about Norad have been going on for years, but were likely helped along by last month's encounter with what turned out to be a Chinese surveillance balloon drifting through North American airspace, Cohen said.
"I think the encounters focused everyone -- Canada, the United States and frankly, maybe the rest of the world -- on the aggressiveness of China, specifically in the Arctic," he said.
"I think the balloon provided a public sense of urgency that reinforced the need on the part of both Canada and the United States to pay special attention to continental defence."
The two countries also outlined Friday an ambitious vision for a robust and reliable supply chain on critical minerals, which are vital elements for the manufacture of electric vehicles, semiconductors and modern-day weaponry.
During a joint news conference with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, however, Biden raised eyebrows when he seemed to suggest Canada has no ambitions for its critical-minerals wealth beyond extraction and export.
"We don't have the minerals to mine; you can mine them," Biden said. "You don't want to ... turn them into product. We do."
Cohen shrugged that off, chalking it up as an awkward effort to illustrate how compatible the respective strengths of the two economies promise to be.
"I think the point that he was trying to make was that there were tremendous complementary strengths and opportunities in the critical mineral space between Canada and the United States," he said.
"Canada has the critical minerals the United States doesn't have. As a result, Canadian participation in the critical minerals supply chain and value chains is a given."
As proof, Cohen pointed to the agreement announced Friday with IBM to expand a semiconductor assembly and testing facility in Bromont, Que., creating a corridor between Canada and upstate New York that will involve "every element" of the semiconductor supply chain.
One of the most immediate effects of Biden's visit was the overnight closure of the Canada-U.S. border to northbound asylum seekers, the result of a "supplement" to a 2004 migration treaty between the two countries.
Weekend media reports described both a mad scramble by migrants to get into Canada via the busy unofficial crossing at Roxham Road before Friday night's midnight deadline, as well as scores of would-be asylum claimants being turned away in the hours after the new agreement took effect.
It's part of a broader U.S. vision that aims to address the much larger issue of irregular migration across the continent and around the world, Cohen said.
"The work that we've done on the southern border has already had a dramatic impact over the past couple of months, and we're hoping to see a similar impact on the northern border," he said.
"But it's a very difficult issue. It's not as simple as a policy of saying, 'We're going to provide asylum for everyone who seeks it."'
Cohen said Friday's visit also helped to blunt a U.S. perception that Canada represents a potential weak link in the effort to present a united foreign-policy front to China, a concern he acknowledged during confirmation hearings back in 2021.
But those were more the views of the members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who were conducting the hearings than of the Biden administration, said Cohen -- and these days, the two countries appear to be working from the same playbook.
"I think the impetus for the questions were -- and there's no secret to this -- that Canada has traditionally had a slightly more friendly relationship with China than the United States," he said.
That all appeared to change dramatically with China's politically charged detention in 2018 of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, who were finally freed in September 2021 and were on hand Friday for Biden's speech to Parliament.
"The Canadian perspective with respect to China has evolved, as has the United States," Cohen said.
"It is therefore not surprising that the stated policies of Canada toward China now look an awful lot like the United States' expressed views toward China."
One area where Biden might well have ended his trip to Ottawa disappointed was on Haiti, the impoverished, leaderless Caribbean nation that has devolved into gang violence since the 2021 assassination of president Jovenel Moise.
Canada has committed $100 million in fresh aid to support the Haitian National Police, but has stopped short of committing to any sort of military intervention, insisting the country is in need of homegrown solutions to the crisis.
The U.S. isn't giving up on the idea of a security force, whether or not it involves Canada, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told the CBC in an interview Sunday.
"We still find value in the potential use of some sort of security force in Haiti," Kirby said.
"Whatever comes out of that is going to have to be done in full consultation with the Haitian government as well as the UN, and we just aren't at that point right now."
The U.S. shares Trudeau's concerns about the state of the Haitian police and will continue to do what it can to bolster their capabilities, Kirby added.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 26, 2023.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's efforts to assure Canadians that his government is adequately addressing the threat of foreign interference took a hit on Wednesday, when the majority of MPs in the House of Commons voted for special rapporteur David Johnston to 'step aside,' a call Johnston quickly rejected.
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.
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.'
Canada’s housing market saw the largest improvement in affordability in nearly four years in the first quarter of 2023, according to a report from economists at the National Bank of Canada.
The federal prison service says it will have a second look at its decision to move convicted killer Paul Bernardo to a medium-security facility as political leaders of all stripes react to the news with shock and outrage.
One of the most notable happenings at Apple's event for developers on Monday is likely the iPhone maker's tweak that will keep its autocorrect feature from annoyingly correcting one of the most common expletives to 'ducking.'
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is threatening to use procedural tools to delay passage of the federal budget in the House of Commons if the Liberals don't meet his demands.
While some natural disasters or bouts of extreme weather may require sheltering in place until authorities can restore power to the area, others require residents to evacuate quickly, sometimes in a matter of hours — and if you want to be prepared, you should create a grab-and-go bag.
This season is on track to be the worst fire season Canada has ever seen and the risk of wildfires will remain well above average in most of the country throughout the summer, the federal government warned Monday.
Despite "anecdotal information and allegations," there is no evidence that a prescribed safe supply of opioids is being diverted and causing increased harm and death – specifically among youth, B.C.'s chief coroner said Monday.
The federal prison service says it will have a second look at its decision to move convicted killer Paul Bernardo to a medium-security facility as political leaders of all stripes react to the news with shock and outrage.
Hydro One employees killed in a December 2017 helicopter crash in eastern Ontario were remembered by their families as proud tradespeople with 'lifetimes ahead of them,' as an inquest into their deaths opened Monday.
Police in Australia are investigating the suspicious death of a woman who used to live in Surrey, BC, after her body was found in her apartment on the outskirts of Sydney.
While some natural disasters or bouts of extreme weather may require sheltering in place until authorities can restore power to the area, others require residents to evacuate quickly, sometimes in a matter of hours — and if you want to be prepared, you should create a grab-and-go bag.
Rep. George Santos' lawyer said Monday the indicted New York Republican would risk going to jail to protect the identities of the people who cosigned the US$500,000 bond enabling his pretrial release.
The lawyer for the main suspect in the unsolved 2005 disappearance of American student Natalee Holloway on Monday said his client has changed his mind and plans to challenge his extradition to the United States.
A state school board in Oklahoma voted Monday to approve what would be the first publicly funded religious school in the nation, despite a warning from the state's attorney general that the decision was unconstitutional.
A wolverine was spotted three times last month in the eastern Sierra Nevada, a rare occurrence for an animal that's only been seen one other time in California over the last 100 years.
The monument to Karl Lueger, a statue of an antisemitic politician who is said to have inspired Adolf Hitler, is to be tilted 3.5 degrees to the right.
Candidates to be Guatemala's next president are taking a cue from the leader of neighboring El Salvador and promising their voters they will build mega-prisons and hammer criminal gangs into submission.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is threatening to use procedural tools to delay passage of the federal budget in the House of Commons if the Liberals don't meet his demands.
The federal prison service says it will have a second look at its decision to move convicted killer Paul Bernardo to a medium-security facility as political leaders of all stripes react to the news with shock and outrage.
The federal government will be providing up to $1.5 million to Pride organizations across the country for increased security measures at parades and other events this year, as advocates call for all political parties to take part.
Women often use hormone therapy to relieve hot flashes and other menopause symptoms -- and new research suggests patches or creams may be safer for their blood pressure than pills.
One of the most notable happenings at Apple's event for developers on Monday is likely the iPhone maker's tweak that will keep its autocorrect feature from annoyingly correcting one of the most common expletives to 'ducking.'
Apple on Monday unveiled a long-rumoured headset that will place its users between the virtual and real world, while also testing the technology trendsetter's ability to popularize new-fangled devices after others failed to capture the public's imagination
Actors represented by the Hollywood union SAG-AFTRA voted Monday evening to authorize a strike if they don't agree on a new contract with major studios, streamers and production companies by June 30.
The bar from the television series "Cheers" sold for $675,000 at auction over the weekend, garnering the highest bid among the nearly 1,000 props, costumes and sets from classic TV shows offered up from a collection amassed by one man over more than three decades.
Microsoft will pay a fine of $20 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it illegally collected and retained the data of children who signed up to use its Xbox video game console.
Canada’s housing market saw the largest improvement in affordability in nearly four years in the first quarter of 2023, according to a report from economists at the National Bank of Canada.
The U.S. imposed sanctions Monday on a group of people linked to Russian intelligence who it said had helped the Kremlin destabilize Moldova's democratically elected, pro-Western government through protests in the Moldovan capital earlier this year.
Canadians are continuing to spend more money on travel as the industry rebounds slowly from pandemic disruptions, according to a recent report — but many are opting for closer destinations, with travel to the U.S. on the rise.
Jonathan Marchessault scored twice and started an early blitz that chased the NHL's hottest postseason goalie, and Adin Hill continued his stellar play as the Vegas Golden Knights seized control of the Stanley Cup Final with a 7-2 victory over the Florida Panthers to take a 2-0 series lead Monday night.
Ontario has committed to paying a third of the cost to save a $5-billion electric vehicle battery plant in Windsor, Ont., premier Doug Ford said Thursday.
The prospect of Fernando Alonso ending a decade-long wait for his 33rd Formula One win in front of tens of thousands of fans at his home race proved too good to be true on Sunday.
Max Verstappen had warned that his Red Bull team was good enough to win every single race of the Formula One season. On Sunday he took one more step toward that ambitious sweep by easing to victory at the Spanish Grand Prix.
