From his perch in the great Kingsmere in sky, Mackenzie King was surely smiling down on a U.S. President on this date in 2004. He would have been doing so because George W. Bush quoted Canada’s late-great PM during a speech in Halifax. Bush was in the Nova Scotia capital to thank Canadians for the hospitality we extended to thousands of Americans whose flights were grounded in Canada on 9/11 after U.S. airspace was closed.
“In the early days of World War II, when the United States was still wrestling with isolationism, Canadian forces were already engaging the enemies of freedom from the Atlantic -- across the Atlantic,” Bush told his audience, one that included Prime Minister Paul Martin. “At the time, some Canadians argued that Canada had not been attacked and had no interest in fighting a distant war. Your Prime Minister, Mackenzie King, gave this answer: ‘We cannot defend our country and save our homes and families by waiting for the enemy to attack us. To remain on the defensive is the surest way to bring the war to Canada. Of course, we should protect our coasts and strengthen our ports and cities against attack, ‘but the Prime Minister went on to say, ‘we must also go out and meet the enemy before he reaches our shores. We must defeat him before he attacks us, before our cities are laid to waste.’ McKenzie King was correct then, and we must always remember the wisdom of his words today.”
You can read President Bush’s entire Halifax speech at this link.