This is an excerpt from my article, “Your Turn: Canada is Massachusetts’s No. 1 customer” published in Worcester Magazine.
During the 2016 presidential campaign, there has been considerable talk about the equity of international trade deals and whether they help or hinder the U.S. economy. During these conversations, it is critical for all Americans, and the people of Massachusetts, to fully understand the incredibly important economic and trade relationship between the U.S. and Canada.
Speaking in April before a large audience gathered for the Chamber’s Business & Government Forum sponsored by Ventry Associates, David Nathan Alward, Canada’s consul general to New England, offered a fascinating overview of this successful relationship. Prior to Alward’s role as consul general, he served as 32nd premier of New Brunswick, a position comparable to that of governor in the U.S.
French Canadians are one of our region’s largest demographic and played a crucial role in Worcester’s early development. By 1870, nearly 40,000 French- Canadians had settled across Central Mass. What many may not know is, even today, our Canadian ties continue to be a core contributor to successful trade and commerce in Massachusetts, not to mention travel and tourism.