● Introduction
● Political Geography
● From Junior Partner to Middle Power
● Canada's Military Commitments
● Canadian-American Relations
● Overseas Development Programs

Canadian-American Relations

Prime Minister Louis St Laurent

Canadian—American relationship is a unique one: they are two of the most open and interconnected societies in the world. Unlike relations between other states, the sovereignty of the two countries is less formal and concrete and it is pointed out that, for example, Canada doesn't have a "policy" for dealing with its neighbour. Prime Minister Louis St Laurent (1948-1957) once said it was more like a relationship between two farmers whose lands lie side by side: "we think of ourselves as settling, from day to day, the questions that arise between us, without dignifying the process by the word 'policy'."

Although the two countries have long—term interests in common, naturally there are points where differences of opinion occur. Canadian-American relations have often been rocky because of disagreements over foreign policy.

A Demonstration by a Ukrainian-Origin Labour Group Outside the Ontario Legislative Buildings in Toronto against Free-Trade with the United States in 1987

Canadian Prime Minister Pearson and American President Lyndon Johnson

There is an often—told story about an actual physical confrontation that took place between Prime Minister Pearson and American President Lyndon Johnson in 1965. Canada disagreed with US involvement in Viet Nam and Pearson had been making public statements which criticized American policy. When the two leaders met at Camp David, a very angry President Johnson took Prime Minister Pearson outside and yelled at him; then, before an astonished group of onlookers, grabbed Pearson's shirt collar and twisted it, and then lifted up the much smaller, and terrified, Canadian Prime Minister by his collar. Such a story seems unbelievable—two heads of state nearly coming to blows—but in a way it characterizes the closeness of the relationship between Canada and the USA. Like brothers, these two countries may quarrel sometimes, but their relationship is too important to ever be seriously jeopardised by disagreements over short—and medium—term issues.

Even though in many respects—population, wealth, economy, military capability—the United States is at least ten times more powerful than Canada, Canada has been able to hold its own in disputes with the United States. Many problems are settled at lower levels of government and industry, and the Prime Minister and the President inevitably meet quite frequently, either as representatives at meetings of world leaders, or to work on bilateral and multilateral issues. The Prime Minister is the leader the President "bumps into" most in his international dealings. When war broke out in the Gulf in 1990, and the US decided to intervene, the first world leader to be notified was Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. Mulroney was

Canadian Prime Ministers Brian Mulroney and Pierre Trudeau, with Mila Mulroney and Governor-General Jeanne Sauvé, at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Ontario

important in persuading the US not to take independent action, but to work through the UN to ensure the steps taken would have an international dimension, rather than just look like a US action.

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