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US President Joe Biden is in Ottawa today for an official visit – a whirlwind trip that will include an address to Parliament, a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and a gala dinner at the city’s Aviation Museum.
The two-day trip, the first non-summit overnight visit by a US president in nearly two decades, is a chance for Biden and Trudeau to continue efforts to renew bilateral ties, which have been marked by some tensions in recent years.
The Trump years are trying times for Canadian officials. But Biden’s decisions to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline, promote protectionist policies like Buy American and withhold some vaccine supplies have also been irritants in the early days of his presidency.
Since then, there have been important developments on key files: a deal to protect the NEXUS trusted travel program and a plan to include Canadian-made vehicles in the US electric vehicle tax credit program.
US President Joe Biden’s schedule for Friday
- 11:20 a.m.: Meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
- 1:50 pm: Biden addresses Parliament
- 3:45 pm: Biden and Trudeau speak to the press
- 6:30 p.m.: Biden, Trudeau and dignitaries attend a gala dinner at the Ottawa Aviation Museum
Watch and listen to US President Joe Biden’s first official visit to Canada on CBC News: Special live coverage begins Friday at 1 p.m. ET on CBC TV, CBC News Network, CBC Gem, the CBC News App and YouTube, and at 1:30 p.m. ET on CBC Radio and the CBC Listen app.
And according to a source who spoke to Radio-Canada/CBC News on condition of anonymity, a deal is in place that will allow Canada to close the Roxham Road site, where tens of thousands of refugees have crossed the border irregularly. year – a political headache for Trudeau.
Diplomats on both sides of the border hope more deals will be announced during the visit.
Biden’s entourage may suggest some details about what’s to come.
Accompanying the president are: Jennifer Granholm, energy secretary; Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan; Liz Sherwood-Randall, homeland security adviser; and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the top US diplomat.
The list shows that there are actions on natural resources, borders and foreign threats.
US Ambassador to Canada David Cohen said he wants Trudeau and his cabinet to spend more on defence. The United States also wants a deeper commitment from Canada to continental air defense through NORAD.
The US is also keen to see Canada take a leadership role in efforts to restore order in Haiti, which has been in turmoil in recent months as gangs have tightened their grip on parts of the Caribbean nation. So far, Canada has refused to deploy troops.
Canada, in turn, wants to seal the deal on Roxham Road and secure some sort of Safe Third Country Agreement, which has allowed migrants to cross the “irregular” site to claim asylum.
Extending the agreement to cover the entire Canada-US border could reduce that activity.
Joe Biden arrived in Ottawa on Thursday for his first official visit to Canada as US president, and already, sources said the two countries had reached an agreement to allow the Roxham Road border crossing to be closed.
Sources said Trudeau and Biden are expected to make the announcement at a press conference later today.
Canada also has the economy on its mind.
Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act — which is essentially a climate change bill, despite its name — includes major tax breaks for companies pursuing green-friendly projects.
Canada is racing to compete — and there may be a role for Canadian businesses as the U.S. overhauls its economy to become cleaner and greener.
The countries will use the visit to “identify concrete ways to make each other stronger, more resilient, more prosperous, more environmentally conscious, safer, more secure and fairer,” said Kirsten Hillman, Canada’s ambassador to the US.
In an interview with the CBC Power & PoliticsHillman said the two countries have “taken stock” and they want to “set the bar really high for how we will be able to jointly support each other.”
Biden’s trip comes after Chinese President Xi Jinping visited another authoritarian leader in Moscow – Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The symbolism was not lost on Bruce Heyman, the former US ambassador to Canada.
While China likes Russia, he said, Biden is in Ottawa to strengthen ties with his “best friend” and closest ally, democratic Canada.
“The differences and contrasts are stark. There’s a very strong message being sent as a result,” Heyman said in an interview.
Undoubtedly, China’s increasing belligerence and Russia’s war crimes will be topics of conversation when Trudeau and Biden sit down there, Heyman said.
Canada and the U.S. want to get closer because the world is increasingly uncertain, he said.
One area of potential cooperation is the U.S.-backed development of Canada’s critical minerals sector — an industry currently dominated by China, an unreliable business partner, Heyman said.
There’s another thing Biden has to think about while he’s in Ottawa: what to eat for dinner.
The National Arts Center’s catering team, led by chef Kenton Leier, has prepared Alberta beef short ribs and east coast Yellowfin tuna for diners at tonight’s gala.
Dessert will be wild blueberry and Quebec maple mousse cake topped with “screech rum” caramel.
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