Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and U.S. President Richard Nixon jointly celebrated the 10th anniversary of the St. Lawrence Seaway on this date in 1969. This marvel of engineering and ingenuity remains one of the most important and impressive joint-projects accomplished by the two North American partners.
“This Seaway, which opened the heartland of Canada and the heartland of America,” Nixon said in his address, “this Seaway which was conceived by men who dreamed of great things and was put into being by men who were able to produce them, the practical engineers, this is an indication of what can happen when nations can work together, when they can be at peace with each other.”
Prime Minister Trudeau also delivered remarks. “This tremendous work of engineering, this tremendous work built on cooperation by two countries, symbolizes the unity and friendship between our two countries,” he said.
You can watch a brief video showing highlights of this anniversary event at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7x-xMZGWNuY
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.