U.S. President Harry S. Truman arrived in Ottawa on this date in 1947 for a two-day visit. He was in Canada’s capital for talks with Prime Minister Mackenzie King and other Canadian officials. And speaking of PM King, in a move that was shameful, even for him, poor Truman had to sit through the unveiling ceremony for the host’s portrait while on Parliament Hill. History had not recorded any private comments the visiting President might have said about the portrait ceremony.
More important than King’s vanity was the fact President Truman addressed a joint-session of Canada’s Parliament during his stay in Ottawa. You can watch a video clip of Truman delivering parts of his speech at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1h_f9DE3TDk
Arthur Milnes is an accomplished public historian and award-winning journalist. He was research assistant on The Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney’s best-selling Memoirs and also served as a speechwriter to then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper and as a Fellow of the Queen’s Centre for the Study of Democracy under the leadership of Tom Axworthy. A resident of Kingston, Ontario, Milnes serves as the in-house historian at the 175 year-old Frontenac Club Hotel.
Arthur Milnes is an accomplished public historian and award-winning journalist. He was research assistant on The Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney’s best-selling Memoirs and also served as a speechwriter to then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper and as a Fellow of the Queen’s Centre for the Study of Democracy under the leadership of Tom Axworthy. A resident of Kingston, Ontario, Milnes serves as the in-house historian at the 175 year-old Frontenac Club Hotel.