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Toast by Prime Minister Paul Martin in honour of George W. Bush, President of the United States of America
November 30, 2004
Gatineau, Quebec
Check against delivery
Mr. President, Mrs. Bush: Let me bid you welcome to Canada.
The setting for our gathering this evening is uniquely Canadian. Just a look around will give you a glimpse into our earliest history.
Right behind me, totem poles of the Aboriginal cultures of the Pacific Northwest. Upstairs, a journey through our social history from the first Viking settlements on the Newfoundland coast.
Not far from there, an overview of New France – as we, and large parts of your country – were once known. Nearby, the story of how communication and commerce were carried to the far-flung parts of the young Canadian nation. And just down the hall here, memorabilia of a hockey player who combined skill and fiery passion to a degree never known before or since – Maurice “The Rocket” Richard.
Outside is the Ottawa River, where huge rafts of logs, piloted by the lumbermen, once came crashing through the rapids. From this wood they built railroads, extending south to the St. Lawrence River and northwest, across Ontario to north of Lake Superior – and ultimately to the West and the Pacific Ocean.
These rail lines, like vital nerves connecting the people of our young country in spirit and enterprise, moved us, helped us grow, kept us in touch, gave us a sense of achievement and identity.
Indeed, on either side of our shared border, parallel sets of tracks, mile after mile, gave our two countries a sense of possibility envied the world over. On either side of our shared border grew great nations – independent and sovereign, but united in their pursuit of equality and prosperity, their devotion to freedom and democracy, and their commitment to building a better world.
The border we share has not been a barrier and it must never become one. It is a reflection of our historic friendship and a gateway to our future prosperity. Its openness speaks to the trust and goodwill we have forged as people and as nations.
On September 11, 2001, more than 200 commercial planes were diverted to airports across our country, from the Pacific to the Atlantic. Immediately, Canadians opened their homes and their hearts. Three days later, on September 14, 100,000 Canadians gathering on Parliament Hill in what was and is the largest vigil ever seen in our capital.
Since then, we have, together and separately, embarked on measures to protect our continent and our border. But what is particularly remarkable is the strength and resolve of our citizenry, the adjustments they have made, with understanding and solidarity, to ensure our border remains an example to the world in its openness to trade and its demonstration of trust. Because of this, our relationship, so rich in history, remains forward-looking and vital, focused on the future.
Mr. President: We spoke today of matters ranging from trade and security, to prosperity and an improved quality of life; from the environment to the defence of North America. We spoke of the world and what a New Multilateralism can do to help bring peace to troubled lands. We spoke of our responsibility to alleviate poverty and disease wherever it is found. We spoke of our dedication to taking the fight to terrorists around the world. And we spoke of our place in the global community.
Mr. President, the unshakeable friendship between our two nations and our people gives strength, purpose and hope. We don’t always agree, and we won’t always agree. But there is a spirit of renewal in the relationship between our two countries. We committed ourselves today to a more sophisticated partnership, one driven by a commitment to co-operation across North America and beyond its borders.
It is in the spirit of this partnership that I propose a toast to our friendship, to the people of the United States, and to you, sir, their President.
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