The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
The importance of trade between Manitoba and the United States is more significant than most people on either side of the border realize. That was the message the United States Consul to Manitoba, Todd Schwartz, brought as guest speaker at the Celebrating Communities Gala held Thursday evening at the R.H. Channing Auditorium. "We are inextricably linked in our trading relationships," the Winnipeg-based diplomat told the crowd of about 100 people. Schwartz, who described himself as "the mouthpiece" of the United States government in Manitoba, pointed out that in 2003, 78 per cent of Manitoba exports went to America. The plus side for the U.S., he said, is that "every product from Manitoba that goes into the U.S. has some U.S. content," giving the example of zinc that was mined in the province using American equipment. "I want to promote the idea of trade," stressed Schwartz. The U.S. consul spoke of the broader importance of U.S.-Canada business dealings, saying the two countries share the world's largest trading relationship. "Thirty-nine of 50 states count Canada as their largest destination for exports," he noted, adding that those exports include everything from electronics to processed foods. But as crucial as the relationship is, Schwartz conceded that it has not been without its troubles, citing disputes involving softwood lumber and the Canadian Wheat Board. "These are real trade problems," he said. But he was quick to mention that his government is working with Canada on ways to move beyond "these challenges." See 'Interest' P.# Con't from P.# Schwartz told the crowd that he has a special interest in Flin Flon, where he last visited in Aug. 2003, and has even read The Sunless City, the dimestore novel from which the community got its unusual name. A humorous moment came during a brief question and answer session, when Mayor Dennis Ballard asked the American diplomat, "Do you have any immediate plans to upgrade your hockey team?" Schwartz received a hearty round of applause when he concluded his speech by quoting John F. Kennedy's take on U.S.-Canada relations: "Geography has made us neighbours, history has made us friends, economics has made us partners, necessity has made us allies."
