The closest thing in the world to an American is a Canadian. – Norman Hillmer, professor, Norman Paterson School of International Affairs
Professor Hillmer’s comment was one of many that sparked murmurs from the sizeable crowd during a recent Author Meets Readers event at Irene’s Pub in Ottawa.
The event was a panel discussion on Professor Stephen Azzi’s new book, Reconcilable Differences: A History of Canada-US Relations.
Azzi was joined onstage by Norman Hillmer, who is cross-appointed to NPSIA and the Department of History at Carleton University; Dean Oliver, the director of research at the Canadian Museum of History; and Laura Dawson, a consultant on cross-border trade issues.
All shared a common perspective: that the difficulties that have existed between Canada and the U.S. have been mostly superficial and that the two countries are alike in many ways.
“The book’s backbone is the idea that the United States and Canada are two fundamentally similar countries,” said Stephen Azzi, who is cross-appointed to the Clayton H. Riddell Graduate Program in Political Management and the Department of History. “Ideas and people have always moved back and forth across the border quite easily.”
Panelist Laura Dawson, the president of Dawson Strategic and a cross-border advisor, pointed out that the most important issues affecting Americans and Canadians every day are “trade, bridges, tunnels, wildlife and water”, regardless of political posturing at the top.
Azzi agreed that the bond between the two countries has survived numerous rocky relationships between leaders.
“Despite personal disagreements—between Kennedy and Diefenbaker or between Johnson and Pearson—the relationship with the U.S. has always been quickly repaired,” said Azzi. “A lot can still happen under the surface even if leaders don’t get along.”
Azzi’s book, Reconcilable Differences: A History of Canada-US Relations, covers the period of the American Revolution through the War of 1812 and the Canadian Confederation up through the World Wars to the “unipolarity” since 1993. The book is published by Oxford University Press.
Author Meets Readers is a monthly event held at Irene’s Pub in the Glebe neighbourhood in Ottawa. The next Author Meets Readers will feature Journalism Professor Andrew Cohen’s book, Two Days in June: John F. Kennedy and the 48 Hours That Made History.
