United States presidential visits to Canada
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There have been 41 United States presidential visits to Canada by 14 presidents over the past century. As the U.S. president is both head of state and head of government, these visits have taken many forms, ranging from formal state visits to official visits, working visits, or private visits (or, as in the case of Franklin D. Roosevelt, personal vacations).
Since the first presidential visit, made by Warren G. Harding in 1923 (just a few weeks before his death), Canada has become one of the most common presidential international travel destinations. Since the Franklin Roosevelt administration, only Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter never visited Canada while in office.[1] Eight presidents have addressed a joint session of the Parliament of Canada, with Dwight D. Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan both speaking twice.
Table of visits
President | Date(s) | Location(s) | Key details |
---|---|---|---|
Warren G. Harding | July 26, 1923 | Vancouver | Official reception during return from Alaska,[2] hosted by British Columbia Premier John Oliver and Vancouver mayor Charles Tisdall.[3] |
Franklin D. Roosevelt | June 29–July 1, 1933 | Campobello Island | Vacation.[4] |
July 28–30, 1936 | Campobello Island | Vacation.[4] | |
July 31, 1936 | Quebec City | Official visit; met with Governor General John Buchan.[4] | |
August 18, 1938 | Kingston | Received honorary degree from Queen's University and together with Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King and the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Albert Edward Matthews, dedicated the Thousand Islands Bridge.[4] | |
August 14–16, 1939 | Campobello Island, Sydney | Vacation.[4] | |
August 21–23, 1939 | Halifax | Stopped while returning to the United States.[4] | |
August 17–25, 1943 | Quebec City Ottawa | Attended First Quebec Conference with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King to discuss policy during World War II.[4] Addressed senators, Members of Parliament, and the general public outside the houses of parliament.[5] | |
September 11–16, 1944 | Quebec City | Attended Second Quebec Conference with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and the Allied Combined Chiefs of Staff.[4] | |
Harry S. Truman | June 10–12, 1947 | Ottawa | Official visit; met with the Governor General, the Earl of Athlone and Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King and addressed Parliament.[6] |
Dwight D. Eisenhower | November 13–15, 1953 | Ottawa | State visit; Met with Governor General Vincent Massey and Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent and addressed Parliament.[7] |
July 8–11, 1958 | Ottawa | Informal visit; met with Governor General Vincent Massey and Prime Minister John Diefenbaker and addressed Parliament.[7] | |
June 26, 1959 | Montreal | Joined Queen Elizabeth II in ceremony opening the St. Lawrence Seaway.[7] | |
John F. Kennedy | May 16–18, 1961 | Ottawa | State visit; met with Governor General Georges Vanier and Prime Minister John Diefenbaker and addressed Parliament.[8] |
Lyndon B. Johnson | September 16, 1964 | Vancouver | Informal visit; met with Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson in ceremonies related to the Columbia River Treaty.[9] |
August 21–22, 1966 | Campobello Island, Chamcook | Laid cornerstone at Roosevelt Campobello International Park and conferred informally with Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson.[9] | |
May 25, 1967 | Montreal, Ottawa | Attended Expo 67, and met privately with the Governor General Roland Michener and Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson.[9] | |
Richard M. Nixon | April 13–15, 1972 | Ottawa | State visit; met with Governor General Michener and Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, addressed parliament,[10] and signed the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.[11] |
Ronald Reagan | March 10–11, 1981 | Ottawa | State visit; met with Governor General Edward Schreyer and Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and addressed Parliament.[12] |
July 19–21, 1981 | Ottawa, Montebello | Attended 7th G7 summit with heads of state and government from Canada, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom.[12] | |
March 17–18, 1985 | Quebec City | Met with Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.[12] The meeting was commonly known as the Shamrock Summit. | |
April 4–6, 1987 | Ottawa | Official visit; met with Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and addressed Parliament.[12] | |
June 19–21, 1988 | Toronto | Attended 14th G7 summit with heads of state and government from Canada, France, West Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom.[12] | |
George H. W. Bush | February 10, 1989 | Ottawa | Working visit; met with Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.[13] |
April 10, 1990 | Toronto | Informal meeting with Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.[13] | |
March 13–14, 1991 | Ottawa | Met with Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and signed an Air Quality Agreement.[13] | |
July 9, 1991 | Toronto | Informal meeting with Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.[13] | |
Bill Clinton | April 3–4, 1993 | Vancouver | Summit meeting with Russian President Boris Yeltsin; also met with Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.[14] |
February 23–24, 1995 | Ottawa | State visit; met with Governor General Roméo LeBlanc and Prime Minister Jean Chrétien and addressed Parliament.[14] | |
June 15–17, 1995 | Halifax | Attended 21st G7 summit with heads of state and government from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom. Also met with Russian President Boris Yeltsin.[14] | |
November 23–25, 1997 | Vancouver | Attended APEC Summit meeting.[14] | |
October 7–8, 1999 | Ottawa, Mont-Tremblant | Working visit. Met with Prime Minister Jean Chrétien and Quebec Premier Lucien Bouchard, attended Federalism Conference, and dedicated new American Embassy building.[14] | |
George W. Bush | April 20–22, 2001 | Quebec City | Attended the 3rd Summit of the Americas.[15] |
June 25–27, 2002 | Kananaskis | Attended the 28th G8 summit.[15] | |
November 30 – December 1, 2004 | Ottawa, Gatineau, Halifax | Delivered a speech at Pier 21 in Halifax, met with Prime Minister Paul Martin and conducted a series of other events.[15] | |
August 20–21, 2007 | Montebello | Attended the North American Leaders' Summit, with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mexican President Felipe Calderón.[15] | |
Barack Obama | February 19, 2009 | Ottawa | Working visit. Met with Governor General Michaëlle Jean and Prime Minister Stephen Harper.[16] |
June 25–27, 2010 | Huntsville, Toronto | Attended the 36th G8 summit and G-20 Summit Meeting.[16] | |
June 29, 2016 | Ottawa | State visit. Met with Governor General David Johnston and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and addressed Parliament. Attended the North American Leaders' Summit with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto. | |
Donald Trump | June 8–9, 2018 | La Malbaie | Attended the 44th G7 summit. |
Joe Biden | March 23–24, 2023 | Ottawa | State visit. Met with Governor General Mary Simon and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and addressed Parliament.[17] |
Dominion of Newfoundland
Prior to becoming a Canadian province in 1949, Newfoundland was a separate Dominion. President Franklin Roosevelt visited there twice: He vacationed at Bay of Islands and Bonne Bay on August 17 to 20, 1939. Two years later, between August 9 and 12, he returned to Newfoundland, ostensibly for another vacation. In actuality, he conferred with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill aboard HMS Prince of Wales and USS Augusta in Placentia Bay. At the conclusion of the conference, they issued the Atlantic Charter.[4][18]
See also
- Canada–United States relations
- Foreign policy of the United States
- Foreign relations of the United States
References
- ^ "Presidential visits to Canada". Toronto Sun. 17 February 2009. Retrieved 8 March 2009.
- ^ "Travels of President Warren G. Harding". U.S. Department of State Office of the Historian.
- ^ "Warren G. Harding & Stanley Park". The History of Metropolitan Vancouver.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Travels of President Franklin D. Roosevelt". U.S. Department of State Office of the Historian.
- ^ Parliament of Canada. "Heads of States and of Governments who have addressed Joint Sessions of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada". Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
- ^ "Travels of President Harry S. Truman". U.S. Department of State Office of the Historian.
- ^ a b c "Travels of President Dwight D. Eisenhower". U.S. Department of State Office of the Historian.
- ^ "Travels of President John F. Kennedy". U.S. Department of State Office of the Historian.
- ^ a b c "Travels of President Lyndon B. Johnson". U.S. Department of State Office of the Historian.
- ^ "Travels of President Richard M. Nixon". U.S. Department of State Office of the Historian.
- ^ National Research Council (U.S.); Royal Society of Canada (1985). The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement: an evolving instrument for ecosystem management. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press. p. 22.
- ^ a b c d e "Travels of President Ronald Reagan". U.S. Department of State Office of the Historian.
- ^ a b c d "Travels of President George H. W. Bush". U.S. Department of State Office of the Historian.
- ^ a b c d e "Travels of President William J. Clinton". U.S. Department of State Office of the Historian.
- ^ a b c d "Travels of President George W. Bush". U.S. Department of State Office of the Historian.
- ^ a b "Travels of President Barack Obama". U.S. Department of State Office of the Historian.
- ^ Aiello, Rachel (2023-03-24). "'Everything is interwoven': Trudeau and Biden vow continued Canada-U.S. collaboration during historic visit". CTV News. Retrieved 2023-03-25.
- ^ Gratwick, Harry (2009). Penobscot Bay: People, Ports & Pastimes. The History Press. p. 72.
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