Press Release, Official Opening Ceremony by President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Queen Elizabeth II in Montreal

O.F. IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 20, 1959 James C. Hagerty, Press Secretary to the President THE WHITE HOUSE *PP7 1-7-173 President Eisenhower and Her Majesty Cueen Elizabeth II will formally open the St. Lawrence Seaway at the St. Lambert lock, Montreal in ceremonies beginning at 11:00 E.D.T. in the morning on June 26, 1959, it was announced by the White House today in Washington. President and Mrs. Eisenhower are expected to arrive from Washington aboard the Columbine III shortly after 10:00 A.M. at the Royal Canadian Air Force Station at St. Hubert, outh of Montreal. As the Columbine III arrives, a 21-gun salute will be fired in honor of the President. He and Mrs. Eisenhower will be welcomed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip and by Prime Minister and Mrs. Diefenbaker. After inspection of a RCAF Guard of Honor. the President and the Queen will leave St. Hubert at 10:30 arriving at the St. Lambert lock 20 minutes later. The official ceremony itself will be centered at the western end of a 300 acre area bordering the approaches to St. Lambert lock. At the eastern end of the ceremony area, the royal yacht Britannia will be berthed in the Seaway channel about a half a mile from the official platform. An honorary naval escort consisting of the United States destroyer Forrest Sherman, the Royal Navy frigate Ulster and the Canadian destroyer escort Gatineau will berth aft of the royal yacht. The opening formalities are expected to last about thirty minutes. Mr. B.J. Roberts, President of the St. Lawrence Seaway Authority of Canada will speak briefly and present Her Majesty with a commemorative book contain- ing the names of organizations and individuals who participated in the construction of the Seaway project. Lewis G. Castle, Administrator of the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation of the United States will present a commemorative book to President Eisenhower and request that the Seaway be declared open, following which the Cueen and the President will deliver brief remarks. At the close of the ceremony, the President and the Cueen will board the Britannia for a 5 hour cruise through the Seaway to the Lower Beauharnois lock. Immediately after leaving her berth at 11:50 A.M. the Britannia will pass through specially constructed ceremonial gates spanning the approaches to the St. Lambert lock. The yacht's passage through the gates, will make this a symbolic opening of the waterway. In Lake St. Louis, the Britannia will pass by sixteen full-dressed ships of the United States Navy and the Royal Canadian Navy lining the royal yacht's route. Two escorts, one each from the United States Navy and the Royal Canadian Navy, will accompany the Britannia from Cote St. Catherine lock to Lower Beauharnois The Britannia will arrive at Lower Beauharnois lock late in the afternoon and the President and Mrs. Eisenhov er, accompanied by Prime Minister and Mrs. Diefenbaker and members of the American Party, will disem- bark at 5:15 2.M. and proceed by car to St. Hubert Air Force Station. The Presidential aircraft will take off at 6:30 P.M. for Washington. # # #