The centennial of the birth of one of the greatest 20th century friends Canada has had in the White House is being celebrated today. George Herbert Walker Bush, the 41st President of the United States, was born on this date in Massachusetts. America’s Chief Executive between 1989 and 1993, he championed Canadian issues, signing both the Canada-US Acid Rain Treaty and the NAFTA. He also formed a particularly close relationship with Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and made concerted efforts to consult him outside of normal bilateral concerns. Up until then, most Canadian Prime Ministers had often privately complained that Canada was rarely consulted by U.S. leaders before making decisions in the international sphere that impacted our country. The Bush Presidency was truly a high-water mark in the proud history of Canadian-American relations since 1867. Happy 100th birthday President Bush 41!
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.