Commentary
For the best part of my own lifetime and those of my parents and grandparents, Canada and the USA have enjoyed the best bilateral partnership in the democratic world. From NORAD to NAFTA, from shared sacrifice in war to shared prosperity in peace, the “undefended border” has symbolized not just geography but identity: two nations built on Anglo-constitutional traditions, free enterprise, and democratic norms.
I have great personal memories of attending a gala performance in the Grand Théâtre de Québec which ended with Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, President Ronald Reagan, and their wives singing “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling” while their respective cabinet members looked on approvingly from the balconies above our seats. The Reagan–Mulroney alignment was built around several clear objectives: strengthening economic ties, modernizing the bilateral trade framework, deepening defence cooperation within NATO and NORAD, and presenting a united front against adversaries. Their cooperation laid the groundwork for a Can-Am free trade agreement, expanded joint security capabilities, and reinforced a coordinated approach to countering the ambitions of totalitarian states such as the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China….