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7344551
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Exchange of Remarks between the President and Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, The Rose Garden [Ford Speech or Statement]
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7344551
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document
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Exchange of Remarks between the President and Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, The Rose Garden [Ford Speech or Statement]
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White House Press Releases (Ford Administration)
Press Releases
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7344551
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16
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1976-06-16
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6
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1976
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Digitized from Box 27 of the White House Press Releases at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JUNE 16, 1976
OFFICE OF THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY
THE WHITE HOUSE
EXCHANGE OF REMARKS
BETWEEN THE PRESIDENT
AND
PIERRE ELLIOTT TRUDEAU
PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA
THE ROSE GARDEN
5:32 P.M. EDT
PRIME MINISTER TRUDEAU: Mr. President, we have
a little gift we want to give you on the occasion of the
Bicentennial -- it is of our boundaries. People usually
think of boundaries as dividing people. Well, I won't repeat
the stories about the unprotected frontiers but, in this case,
we will see in pictures what everyone knows on your side and
on our side of the boundary -- that these boundaries don't
divide us; they bring us together.
By the pictures, we see that Canadians and Americans
on both sides of the borders in their institutions, in their
way of life and their physical aspects are very, very close
together, and we thought that would be a good way to indicate
to you and to your countrymen our friendship on the occasion
of this Bicentennial.
One of your famous poets, Robert Frost, talked
about good fences making good neighbors. Well, in this case,
it is the good neighbors that make good boundaries, and we
have got some good photographers here who made these good
boundaries into good pictures and we would like to offer
them to you, and I understand they will be offered also.
Thank you, Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT: May we open it and look at some of
the --
PRIME MINISTER TRUDEAU: Let's look at some of
them. I hope we will find somewhere the boundaries are --
oh, look. This does not bind you to anything. These are
boundaries which were drawn -- (Laughter).
In case of land boundaries, I think we pretty well
agree on them.
THE PRESIDENT: I think we have resolved those
boundaries.
PRIME MINISTER TRUDEAU: The sea boundaries we have
been talking about (Laughter) -- and by accepting this gift
you are not committed to anything (Laughter). A show of
friendship.
MORE
Page 2
THE PRESIDENT: We will blame the photographers.
PRIME MINISTER TRUDEAU: Well, there we are, and
we are living with friendship on both sides, Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT: Mr. Prime Minister, let me thank
you and the Canadian people on behalf of myself, as well as
the American people, for this beautiful Bicentennial gift
between friends. You have said, and it is so true, that
our boundary of some 5,000 miles is a boundary that means
much because it is a boundary of peace. It goes from the
St. Lawrence to the Great Lakes to the Rockies to the wilds
of the Arctic. It is a boundary that we are proud of. It
is a boundary where people can cross with a minimum of effort
and where crossings take place on a daily basis in the best
of intentions and the best of objectives.
The American people are proud of their relationship
with your people and we are very, very grateful for this very
thoughtful gift, and I am looking forward to the opportunity
of seeing the pictures of the boundary. It is a boundary
of peace, it is a boundary that I hope will set an example
for nations throughout the world.
It is a boundary that will be crossed this summer
by many people from Canada coming to the United States for
our Bicentennial and it is a boundary that will be crossed
by many Americans going to the Montreal Olympics, and I think
both occasions are great occasions for the Canadians as
well as for the Americans.
I understand that some of the original pictures
that were taken by this distinguished group will be at the
Field Museum in Chicago and it is my understanding you and
I have sent a message to the --
PRIME MINISTER TRUDEAU: We have, sir. (Laughter)
THE PRESIDENT: I just wanted to verify it.
PRIME MINISTER TRUDEAU: Written in our own hand.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes.
That is a great museum and it will be, I am sure,
warmly received by the people in the Middle West who will
look forward to the photographs that have been taken by
this distinguished group.
I reemphasize our gratitude for your thoughtfulness
on the occasion of our Bicentennial. It has a great depth
of feeling and it is, I think, an indication of the Canadian-
U.S. friendship for so many years in the best of tradition.
Thank you very, very much.
PRIME MINISTER TRUDEAU: Thank you.
END (AT 5:37 P.M. EDT)