Posts Tagged ‘Montreal’

June 11, 2012: Beyond the Border Updates

Monday, June 11th, 2012

When President Obama and Prime Minister Harper announced the Beyond the Border Action Plan last December, I said that opportunities for stakeholders to participate in the process and feedback from people who deal with the border every day would be integral to implementation. We need your views, and we expect you to hold our feet to the fire. Success depends on our willingness to hear what you have to say and act on it.

Over the past few weeks, the Action Plan has taken significant steps forward.

In February, I made an announcement at Montreal’s Trudeau Airport for one of the new NEXUS lanes we’ve created at several international airports. This is one of the most tangible achievements. Making it easier for trusted travelers and frequent travelers to cross the border will help reduce wait times and let U.S. and Canadian law enforcement focus resources on transit that needs more scrutiny.

On May 14, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Jason Kenney announced joint consultations with stakeholders on cross-border business. These consultations will gather input and ideas to facilitate cross border business travel. Secretary Napolitano attended the first joint consultation in Washington, and Minister Kenney attended a similar consultation in Toronto. Stakeholders who couldn’t attend either meeting can send comments to the Department of Homeland Security by email until June 15 at BeyondtheBorder@hq.dhs.gov.

On May 31, the U.S. and Canada announced that we have agreed to the mutual recognition of air cargo security. Cargo on passenger aircraft will be screened at the point of origin and will not need to be rescreened at the border or prior to upload in the other country. This will facilitate commerce across the border, improve the efficiency of screening, and reduce burdens on and costs to industry.

We are moving forward. Individual steps may not be flashy, but taken together, they will make a concrete difference in how goods and people move across the border. They will facilitate trade, encourage travel and create jobs in a time when all are very much needed.

More information about the entire Action Plan can be found on the Department of Homeland Security website at www.dhs.gov/beyond-the-border.

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Posted in June 2012 |

November 24, 2011: Montreal

Thursday, November 24th, 2011

Today is Thanksgiving Day in the United States. I’m spending it in Montreal with friends and family. We’re testing a theory that turkey tastes as good in French as it does in English. I’m sure we won’t be disappointed.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. It is the only holiday that is celebrated by EVERY American. But this year we celebrate during difficult times. And I am reminded of the original Proclamation of Franklin Roosevelt establishing the National Holiday in 1933, during the midst of the depression:

“May we be grateful for the passing of dark days; for the new spirit of dependence one on another; for the closer unity of all parts of our wide land; for the greater friendship between employers and those who toil; for a clearer knowledge by all nations that we seek no conquests and ask only honorable engagements by all peoples to respect the lands and rights of their neighbors; for the brighter day to which we can win through by seeking the help of God in a more unselfish striving for the common bettering of mankind.”

Thanksgiving is about thanks. And it’s about giving. Each of us has something to give — to our families, to our communities, to our countries. Today is a day to ask how we might use those gifts in the coming year.

I invite all of our Canadian friends to celebrate with us that spirit of Thanksgiving.

DJ

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Posted in November 2011 |

February 28, 2011 – Montreal

Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011

Every day I am able to serve as the United States Ambassador to Canada is a great day.  But some days are simply amazing.  Yesterday was one of them.  I should return my paycheck for yesterday.
 
We gathered in Montreal at the home Jackie and Rachel Robinson lived in during the summer of 1946 when Jackie played for the Montreal Royals before joining the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 to break Major League Baseball’s color barrier.  The consulate in Montreal planned the event as part of Black History Month.  We were joined by Jackie and Rachel’s daughter Sharon, Montreal Mayor Gerald Tremblay, Quebec Minister of Education, Leisure and Sport Line Beauchamp, Michael Farkas, President of the Round Table on Black History Month, and many hearty souls who braved the snow and the cold.  And we were all hosted by the gracious current owner of the house, Eric Boudreault.

Unveiling the plaque with Jackie Robinson's daughter Sharon at the baseball player's former Montreal home.

We were there to celebrate some of our common history. And something very special that was done by the people of Montreal during the summer of 1946.  
           
I love baseball. I always have.  I always will. 
 
It is more than just a game to me and to so many people across North America. As a long suffering Cubs fan, baseball has taught me the importance of hope.  And of renewal — every spring when teams report for spring training. All too often as a Cubs fan it has taught me the bitter lessons of defeat.
 
What began for Jackie and Rachel Robinson in that house in Montreal represents all of those emotions and so much more.
 
When Jackie Robinson broke into baseball he had some difficult times. In some places in the United States he was treated shamefully. But the people in that house in Montreal, the people in his neighborhood, the people of Montreal were so much better. They showed us the way. They gave us hope. They gave us renewal.
           
And through the bravery of Jackie Robinson — and so many others over the years — my country changed. Changed for the better. I am the representative to the Canadian people of an African American President of the United States. I suspect if you asked the people who lived in the Montreal neighborhood in 1946 if that was ever likely to happen they would have laughed.  But what happened there was an important step on that journey.
           
After the outdoor ceremony a group of us went back to our Montreal Consul General Lee McClenny’s house.  Sharon Robinson spoke eloquently about her father and the way he faced the challenges both in baseball and in life.

Ambassador Jacobson and Sharon Robinson look at a photo of her parents, Baseball and Civil Rights icon Jackie Robinson and his wife Rachel.

I had the opportunity to read the most famous column, “Jackie’s Debut a Unique Day“, from my favorite columnist, Chicago’s Mike Royko.  Mike wrote the column on the day that Jackie Robinson died.  It is such a moving account of the tremendous impression it made on Mike, the kid, when he had the opportunity to see Jackie Robinson play for the first time in Chicago.  I’d really urge you to follow the link and experience it for yourself.
 
It was an honor and a privilege to participate in the dedication.  Jackie Robinson didn’t just change baseball, he changed America.  We owe a debt of gratitude to the people of Montreal for the warm way they welcomed him.  Hopefully yesterday, we paid back a little of our obligation.
 
DJ

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Posted in February 2011 |

February 9, 2010 – Montreal

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

I spent the last two days in Montreal. Last night Julie and I went to dinner at Moishes Steak House. As usual — I ate too much. But the steaks are spectacular. And the pickles they put on every table superb. As my kids would say: “Old School.” If you ever want a good splurge in Montreal I highly recommend it.

Today I gave a speech at a lunch hosted by the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations (known as CORIM in Montreal by its French acronym). After stumbling through a couple of sentences of French – perhaps the best received part of the address – I spoke about the Obama Administration’s foreign policy. My fundamental point was that America’s commitment to global security will never waver. But in a world in which threats are more diffuse, and missions more complex, America cannot act alone. We need like-minded allies – like Canada – to secure the peace.

I emphasized that where force is necessary, we have a moral and a strategic obligation to abide by certain rules of conduct. Even as we confront a vicious and ruthless adversary, like al-Qaeda, we must remain steadfast to our beliefs. To our values. That is what makes us different from those we fight. That is a source of our strength. That is what makes our country – and Canada – worth fighting for.

Under President Obama, there will be engagement and there will be diplomacy – but there will also be consequences if those efforts fail. It remains true however, that no repressive regime can move down a new path unless it has the choice of an open door.

As we have seen in places like Afghanistan, true peace is not just freedom from oppression — it is also freedom from want. Development rarely takes root without security, but so, too, security does not exist where human beings do not have access to enough food. Or clean water. Or the medicine and shelter they need to survive. It does not exist where children can’t aspire to a decent education or a job that supports a family. The absence of hope can destroy a society from within.

Finally, I talked about my travels and concluded that the U.S. and Canada share so much. More than agreeing that Florida is the best place to spend winter or that you play football with your hands. We share the core values of peace, of justice, and of freedom. Those values shape how we think and how we act. And more importantly we share in a hope and in an obligation. A hope that tomorrow will be a better place. And an obligation to do everything in our power to ensure that it is.

This is what makes the United States and Canada great. That we see the problems of the world and we work for change. It is our job – together – to make that change happen.
DJ

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Posted in February 2010 |

Oct 21, 2009 – Winnipeg and Montreal

Thursday, October 22nd, 2009

Monday was a special day in Winnipeg. We were privileged to attend the swearing in of Greg Selinger, the new Premier of Manitoba. The excitement in the room reminded me of how Julie and I felt on a very cold January day in Washington when President Obama took his oath of office. Both events were celebrations of the thing we all cherish most deeply – the orderly and peaceful transition of power. While it was a coincidence that we arrived on this special day, I am so glad we had a chance to witness it.

Lest you think I was taking the rest of the day off, we spent the morning learning about the new Canadian Human Rights Museum, a cause I have great interest in. We toured the Winnipeg Art Gallery, which has the largest collection of Inuit art in the world. We also enjoyed the photo exhibition of the great Canadian photographer Yousuf Karsh which came to the museum from the Art Institute of Chicago in my home town. We visited with Lieutenant Governor Lee and his wife, Anna, in the historic Blue Room of the Legislative Building after the swearing in of Premier Selinger. We had lunch with Grand Chief Evans of the Manitoba tribes at the Chocolate Shop Restaurant that is operated by the tribes as a training facility for their people. By coincidence a TV crew was there doing a piece on the restaurant and I finally was able to do something I’m expert at: food critic. I highly recommend the bison stew.

Grand Chief Evans and the Ambassador

Grand Chief Evans and the Ambassador


During the afternoon I inspected the troops and the facilities at the Air Command of the Canadian NORAD Region. I then met with Mayor Sam Katz of Winnipeg. In addition to discussing the role of cities in the 21st century, we talked at length about a topic the mayor and I are both very fond of – baseball. He owns the Winnipeg Goldeyes of the Northern league. I have been to games of another team in the Northern League, the Schaumburg Flyers, outside Chicago. And we compared Wrigley Field stories.

After a meeting with civic leaders, Julie and I went to the Manitoba Theatre Centre to take in the one man show “Five O’clock Bells” about the tragic life of legendary Canadian jazz guitarist Lenny Breau.

On Tuesday morning we had breakfast with Premier Selinger. We had a chance to get to know one another and I look forward to working with him during my time here in Canada. Then it was off to Montreal where we spent a couple of hours with my son Jeremy who is a student at McGill. We met with the Principal of McGill, Heather Munroe-Blum. We had a broad ranging discussion about higher education in our two countries as well as opportunities to work together in the future.

Last night I attended the welcome event for the Canadian American Business Council and later had dinner with Premier Charest and several community leaders from Quebec and the United States.

Ambassador Jacobson at the CABC

Ambassador Jacobson at the CABC


This morning I spoke to the CABC attendees about the state of the relationship between our two countries. Now we’re on our way back to Ottawa for a couple of welcome nights in my own bed. DJ

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Posted in October 2009 |

A Great Prize!! Admiring Montreal and reading your mail

Friday, October 9th, 2009

This morning’s amazing news put a smile on my face. The Nobel Prize for Peace, bestowed on President Obama is humbling indeed. I couldn’t be more proud of the man I came here to represent. I share the President’s view that this award is a call to action to make the world a better place and that it is an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of the aspiration held by people in all nations. I have spoken with friends back in the White House who are as excited as I am. I also want to express my thanks for the congratulations to President Obama that I have received from so many Canadians who stand with us in this effort. There is much work for us to do together.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, this week Julie and I spent a few days in La Belle Province of Quebec. We started in Quebec City and then travelled by train to Montreal. The ride gave us a chance to soak up the scenery and to meet a few of our fellow travelers.

I have spent time in Montreal before, but this trip gave me a chance to learn more. A few highlights: we visited the facilities of CAE, the leading Canadian defense exporter and a world leader in flight simulators. Let me tell you…. these are not like a video game. Julie and I got to a chance to “fly” a Boeing 777 from Hong Kong. It felt exactly like we were flying a real plane. I hope I will be a better Ambassador than I am an airline pilot. But it was great fun.

Julie and I in the flight simulator at CAE

Julie and I in the flight simulator at CAE

We also spent some time walking around Old Montreal and visiting our son who is in school there. Julie bought shoes. I bought poutine.

My first taste of poutine!

My first taste of poutine!

Finally, I have been heartened by the warm reception you have given me in this virtual forum. Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to write to me. To Grant, Richard, David (I feel like family already), Christian (I’ll give your good suggestions about the blog consideration, thanks), Ed, Patrick (I’ll look for that book) and others too many to mention here. To all of you: your kind words are very much appreciated.

Have a wonderful long weekend. To my Canadian friends, Happy Thanksgiving. To my American friends, Happy Columbus Day!

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Posted in October 2009 |

Impressed by Cultural Diversity

Wednesday, October 7th, 2009

This is turning out to be a rather spectacular week as well. Yesterday I had the honor of meeting Ministers Cannon, Van Loan, Day and MacKay. Today I begin my trip across Canada. There is so much about Canada I’ve long admired, starting with (and maybe stemming from) your embrace of diversity. Julie and I decided our first stop should be in La Belle Province – Quebec- and today it is Quebec City. We enjoyed getting to know Premier Charest and his wife Michèle Dionne. We also met with Lieutenant Governor Pierre Duchesne, Quebec National Assembly President Yvon Vallières, and opposition leader Pauline Marois. We even had time to do a little sightseeing, and what an amazing city this is! Julie (whose French is better than mine) called it une ville magnifique!

One thing that was particularly noteworthy was that, when I arrived at the Quebec National Assembly building, the American flag was flying on the building to greet me. A warm gesture.

I haven’t had time to catch all of today’s news, but I have heard that the Nobel prizes are starting to be announced. I’d like to join with others in extending my best congratulations to Willard S. Boyle, George E. Smith and Charles K. Kao for sharing in the award for the Nobel Prize for Physics. Boyle and Smith invented an imaging semiconductor circuit known as the CCD sensor and Kao made a breakthrough involving the transmission of light in fibre optics. I understand that both Canada and the United States can claim Willard S. Boyle as one of their own. Since I’ve been a devoted amateur photographer for some time, I’m especially appreciative of the work that led to the eye in the digital camera. Thanks to these scientists’ hard work, discovery and collaborative spirit, we all benefit. They are an amazing example for our next generation and we wish them the very best.

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Posted in October 2009 |