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U.S. ambassador stresses close relationship during visit |
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Written by FRANK PEEBLES
Citizen staff
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Monday, 19 May 2008 |
United States' ambassador to Canada, David Wilkins, visited Prince George on Monday. He attended a luncheon populated by city officials and business representatives. Mayor Colin Kinsley said it was the first time he knows of that the top American diplomat in our country has visited here.
Wilkins was joined on the trip by U.S. Consul General Lewis Lukens from the American embassy in Vancouver, also making his first trip to the city in the two years he has held the B.C. post.
His visit coincided with one of the region's worst economic downturns in relation to local products bound primarily for America, chiefly beef and lumber.
"That is a central part of his comments," said Prince George-Peace River MP Jay Hill, a personal friend of Wilkins and his host on this visit. "The mayor in particular asked him about that. Obviously it is a central focus of the trip, is to make him more aware of the hurt we are experiencing in the lumber industry with the downturn in the U.S. economy."
Wilkins said that the enormous scope of relations between our two countries has some drawbacks right now, but it has also made for a very prosperous pair of nations and that will continue to work together.
"Canada's trade with the U.S. dwarfs total trade with Europe. It is the largest trade relationship the world has ever known," he said. "You are our biggest trading partner, we are your biggest trading partner; you are our biggest visitor to our country, we are your biggest visitor to your country ... Whenever we partner together it is not only positive for our two countries but I think positive for the world community, because we are a force for good when Canada and the U.S. partner together and work together."
How can beef producers and lumber producers keep from taking their product to sell in other markets when things have gone as badly with the American client?, he was asked by The Citizen.
"We want to be your No. 1 trading partner, I think we will continue to be," he said. "But I wouldn't begin to tell industry in Canada where to go. The market is going to dictate; they're going to make good decisions based on that. We are your No. 1 consumer of energy and your No. 1 consumer of lumber and I think we will continue to be, but we are going through an economic downturn now. Our lumber industry is suffering, your lumber industry is suffering because of the housing downturn, but hopefully things are going to turn around and when they do we are a huge consumer waiting on your very fine lumber to come south. It has worked well for your lumber industry in the past and I think in the future it will work well."
Kinsley said the visit was an excellent diplomatic opportunity and an honour for the city. He also hoped for more information from Wilkins on the state of domestic economic affairs in the U.S. but accepts that it is largely an event that has a life of its own and is being worked on diligently on the American side.
"He just said he is optimistic because of the resilience of the American people," said Kinsley. "(Wilkins detailed) the areas that have been hit in the banking system, and Congress dealing with the banks on making more money available because of the mess with the sub-prime mortgages and all the foreclosures and the huge rise in inventories in the United States. It is going to take some time just to go through the inventories, but he is confident (that will rebound in time)."
Wilkins characterized the luncheon as "a conversation among friends."
Not all the talk was on sour economics. Prince George Airport Authority chair Jim Blake was in attendance, and Hill said he personally gave Wilkins an informal tour of construction at the airport, lauding the trade potential that YXS represents with the current upgrades.
A flight from B.C.'s northern capital took Hill and Wilkins north to a place where the trade with the U.S. is going gangbusters: the oil and gas fields of Peace country. Hill invited him to the area for the official dedication of a new memorial at Charlie Lake near Fort St. John where 12 American soldiers were killed in an incident in 1942 while building the Alaska Highway. Wilkins was part of the fundraising effort for the memorial and wanted to take part in the unveiling.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 19 May 2008 )
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