Prime Minister Brian Mulroney was hosting the G7 Summit that opened in Toronto on this date in 1988. President Ronald Reagan, of course, was perhaps the most important participant. He discussed his busy day in his private diary.
“Father’s Day! Took off at Andrews A.F.B. at 10 A.M. & 1 hr. and 10 min’s. later landed in Toronto at the International Airport—greeted by some officials & off in motorcade to Royal York hotel—our home for next 3 days—or 2 1⁄2,” he wrote. “Just time to take off my blazer & slacks & into a blue suit & off to official welcoming ceremony at Nathan Square—City hall Toronto. Met by Brian & Mila—Mil. parade, Nat. Anthem then in bldg. for brief 1 on 1 with Brian & back to hotel for switch back to slacks, blazer & lunch. A courtesy visit with Pres. Mitterrand of France and at 2:30 off to Metro Toronto Convention Center—5 min. drive. A meeting of summit heads only—scheduled for 2 hrs. it went 3. A good free wheeling discussion of problems we must solve. Brief time at hotel then Nancy off to dinner with wives & me off to Toronto Hunt Club for a working dinner—a 20 min. drive. More discussion & much agreement. Back to hotel at 10:45 or so.”
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.