President Ronald Reagan traveled to Ottawa in March 1981, shortly after taking office. But in an address to Parliament, Reagan said, “A final word to the people of Canada: We’re happy to be your neighbor. But a visit to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum here nonetheless is a shocking reminder of the vast gulf between the two Republican presidents — not only on issues but also in philosophy, outlook and character. The prime minister of Canada when Reagan made that first trip was Pierre Elliott Trudeau — father of current prime minister Justin Trudeau. Reagan was very much a conservative, and Trudeau was very much a liberal, mirroring the difference between Washington and Ottawa today.

Source: Washington Post June 07, 2018 20:28 UTC