On September 16, 1964, President Johnson visited the International Peace Arch in Blaine, WA. He was there to sign the Columbia River Treaty, an agreement between Canada and the United States on the development and operations of dams in the upper Columbia River Basin for power and flood control benefits in both countries. President Johnson and then Canadian Prime Minister Lester Pearson
were on the podium along with Senator Warren G. Magnuson and Senator Henry M. Jackson. More than 25,000 people attended the ceremony including me. It was a great day except for the rain. It was not a downpour, but more than what the Blaine Journal described a “heavy drizzle.”
One of memories I take away from that day is Lyndon Johnson who in a ten-gallon hat and because of his size dominated the podium with his presence. And the second memory is his words: “We of the United States consider ourselves blessed. We have much to give thanks for. But the gift of providence we cherish most is that we were given as our neighbors on this wonderful continent the people and the nation of Canada.”
In my immigration practice the majority of my clients are Canadians. Many of them are business persons expanding or creating businesses in the United States.
Other are individuals who have married an American. In many ways my Canadian clients are a breath of fresh air – they don’t take themselves as seriously as many Americans do today. They stand ready to see the humor in the human condition. We need each other.