Canada and the United States share a special relationship that is unmatched by any other in the world. The two countries share the longest international border in the world, and have often come to each other's aid in times of need. America's presidents throughout history have had great things to say about their neighbour to the north. From the 1940s and into the 2000s, U.S. leaders have emphasized how important the alliance, friendship, and cooperation between both countries has been. With less than two weeks to go before the U.S. federal election, it might be a good time to look back on some of the kindness shown to Canada by sitting heads of state. These inspiring words have been archived by the United States government. Editor's Choice: Shawn Mendes Once Opened Up About His 'Suffocating' Ontario Hometown - Narcity Franklin Delano Roosevelt View this post on Instagram With the US Presidential election just around the corner, this got us thinking about all the times Presidents have visited #CatholicU. For much of the University's first century of history, the Chief Executive would make a trip to campus. For example, in this photograph from 1933, Franklin Delano Roosevelt is arriving on campus to receive an honorary degree. Eleanor and Franklin are greeted by then-Rector John H. Ryan. Can you guess what other Presidents have made the trip to campus? Follow the link in our profile to learn more about all these presidential visits, some formal and some informal! #cuaarchives #archivesofinstagram #librariesofinstagram #cuaalumni #catholicuhistory #cuahistory #catholicuniversity #franklinroosevelt #fdr #presidents #presidentialhistory #dchistory A post shared by CUA Special Collections (@catholicu_archives) on Oct 21, 2020 at 6:06am PDT President Roosevelt steered the United States through both the Great Depression and the Second World War. When he travelled north of the border to address Parliament in 1943, he talked about how comfortable the citizens of each country feel when visiting the other. "I have always felt at home in Canada," Roosevelt said, "and you, I think, have always felt at home in the United States. Dwight Eisenhower View this post on Instagram Dwight Eisenhower en una foto de 1943. El futuro comandante supremo aliado y presidente de Estados Unidos nació el 14 de octubre de 1890 en Denison, Texas. Falleció en Washington DC el 28 de marzo de 1969. A post shared by Las Guerras Mundiales (@lgmundiales) on Oct 14, 2020 at 6:28pm PDT Eisenhower is probably best known for his military service during the Second World War and his speech emphasizing the potential dangers of the military industrial complex. While addressing Parliament in November 1953, Eisenhower offered a flattering compliment on Canada's continued progress in the twentieth century. "You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement," he said, "my country rejoices in it." John F. Kennedy View this post on Instagram Today marked Day 7 of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. President Kennedy gave an address to the nation regarding the former Soviet Union’s military presence in Cuba. Kennedy reports the establishment of offensive missile sites that is presumed to be for launching a nuclear offense against Western nations. In his speech President Kennedy states "Our goal is not the victory of might, but the vindication of right- not peace at the expense of freedom, but both peace and freedom, here in this Hemisphere, and, we hope, around the world." . . . #jfk #johnfkennedy #presidentkennedy #kennedy #jackkennedy #rfk #cubanmissilecrisis #1962 #cuba #unitedstates #history #coldwar #politics #icons A post shared by Kennedy Enthusiast (@kennedy.legacies) on Oct 22, 2020 at 12:15pm PDT Kennedy took on the role of president following Eisenhower's departure and quickly became a popular leader. He is still the youngest person to be elected to the office. In 1961, Kennedy poetically summed up all of the ways Canada and the United States are bound together. "Geography has made us neighbours. History has made us friends. Economics has made us partners. And necessity has made us allies," he said, "Those whom nature hath so joined together, let no man put asunder." Lyndon B. Johnson View this post on Instagram October 20, 1965 #OTD The Motor Vehicle Air Pollution Control Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson (Pictured), permitting the first federal standards for vehicle exhaust. Under the rules, which were effective starting with the 1968 model year cars and trucks, carbon monoxide had to be reduced by more than half of the 1963 levels in the Clean Air Act of 1963 and hydrocarbons by nearly three-fourths. The House of Representatives had passed the bill on September 24 by a margin of 294 to 4, with the only opposition coming from future U.S. Senator Bob Dole of Kansas, Paul Findley of Illinois, and Graham Purcell and William R. Poage of Texas. The Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1965 was signed into law on the same day, with the objective of "conservation of natural resources by reducing the amount of waste and unsalvageable materials" in manufacturing, packaging and marketing of consumer products, and to eliminate methods of trash disposal that resulted in scenic blights, public health hazards and the accident hazards. #onthisday #motorvehicleairpollutioncontrolact #signedintolaw #uspresident #lyndonbjohnson #lbj #onthisdayinhistory #history #1965 #55yearsago A post shared by Erik William Thackrey (@erik_thackrey98) on Oct 20, 2020 at 5:52pm PDT Johnson was Kennedy's vice president, and was sworn in after his death. He was elected in his own right in 1964, and it was during this term that he paid a visit to Montreal for the 1967 Expo. There, he expressed how lucky the U.S. is to have such a great neighbouring country. "We of the United States consider ourselves blessed. We have much to give thanks for," Johnson said, "But the gift of providence we cherish most is that we were given as our neighbours on this wonderful continent the people and the nation of Canada." Ronald Reagan View this post on Instagram Sobre todo, debemos darnos cuenta de que ningún arsenal o arma en los arsenales del mundo es tan formidable como la voluntad y el valor moral de los hombres y mujeres libres. Es un arma que nuestros adversarios en el mundo de hoy no tienen. - Ronald Reagan #Politica #Verdad #Trump2020 #derecha #nuevaderecha #Ronaldreagan #Valor #Moral A post shared by C. Gonzalez (@cristianolector21) on Oct 21, 2020 at 5:10pm PDT Elected in 1980 by a huge margin of electoral votes, Ronald Reagan served two terms, leading the United States through the 1980s. When speaking at a welcoming ceremony in Quebec City in 1985, he emphasized the familial relationship between both countries. "We’re more than friends and neighbours and allies," Reagan said, "we are kin, who together have built the most productive relationship between any two countries in the world today." Bill Clinton View this post on Instagram President Bill Clinton talks on the telephone regarding the Kosovo War in the Oval Office Dining Room. | 📸:Sharon Farmer | #kosovowar #billclinton #Clinton #uspresident #president #presidentoftheunitedstates #ovaloffice #telephone #Kosovo #whitehouse A post shared by Wikipedia Military Pics (@wikipedia_military_pics) on Oct 17, 2020 at 8:25pm PDT Bill Clinton was elected in 1992, and is notably the first person born in the baby boomer generation to become president. When he was in high school, Clinton met John F. Kennedy in the White House Rose Garden, which motivated him to enter politics. In delivering remarks to Parliament in 1995, Clinton expressed how he felt about the friendship between Canada and the United States. "Ours is the world’s most remarkable relationship – the prime minister said, whether we like it or not," he said, "I can tell you that on most days I like it very, very much." Barack Obama View this post on Instagram This is one of those pivotal moments when every one of us, as citizens of the United States, need to determine just who it is that we are. Just what it is that we stand for. And as a fellow citizen, not as an ex-president, I delivered a simple message to students at the University of Illinois today. You need to vote, because our democracy depends on it. The biggest threat to our democracy doesn't come from any one person. The biggest threat to our democracy is indifference. The biggest threat to our democracy is cynicism – a cynicism that’s led too many people to turn away from politics, and to stay home on Election Day. The antidote to government by the powerful few is democracy by the organized many. If you get involved, and engaged, and knock on some doors, and talk with your friends, and argue with your family members, and change some minds, and vote – then something powerful happens. Change happens. Hope happens. With each new candidate that surprises you with a victory, a spark of hope happens. With each new law that helps a kid read, or a poor family find shelter, or a veteran get the support he or she has earned, hope happens. With each new step we take in the direction of fairness, and justice, and equality, and opportunity, hope spreads. I believe that can be the legacy of your generation. You can be the generation that stood up and reminded us just how precious democracy is, and just how powerful it can be when we fight for it. I believe you will. Because I believe in you. And I’ll be right there alongside you, every step of the way. A post shared by Barack Obama (@barackobama) on Sep 7, 2018 at 12:51pm PDT Barack Obama's 2008 election win was a historic moment, as he became America's first Black president. He saw the country through an economic recovery following a major recession. Obama would visit Canada numerous times, and in 2009, he had nothing but good things to say about it. "I think that Canada is one of the most impressive countries in the world, the way it has managed a diverse population, a migrant economy," he said, adding, "The natural beauty of Canada is extraordinary."
