Jones Engages with Canadian Government and Business Leaders During Tour

29 Oct, 2023

Jones Engages with Canadian Government and Business Leaders During Tour

Jones, a representative from Chateaugay Lake with the Democratic party, serves as the chairperson of the task force, which was established by the New York State Assembly the previous year. Joining him on their tour were other assembly members, including Stacey Pheffer Amato, Marianne Buttenschon, Simcha Eichenstein, and Scott Gray.

During their visit to Ottawa, Jones and his colleagues had the opportunity to meet with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs David Morrison from Global Affairs Canada, which is Canada's counterpart to the U.S. State Department. The discussions centered around topics such as immigration policy and border staffing.

The task force commenced their day with a gathering hosted at the Business Council of Canada, during which they interacted with prominent figures including Jack Hughes (senior vice president of Jack Hughes, who serves as senior vice president for planning and operations, Robert Asselin, holding the position of senior vice president for policy, and John Dickerman, the vice president responsible for United States relations. The central theme of this meeting revolved around the examination of the economic ties between the United States and Canada. In the afternoon, the task force members engaged in dialogues with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce's leadership, underscoring the significance of the trade relationship between the two nations.

Additionally, the task force conducted meetings with the Parliament's Standing Committee on International Trade and the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group. During their meeting with the latter, the assembly members discussed strategies for strengthening the relationship between the New York State Legislature and the Canadian Parliament and committed to continuing this dialogue through the creation of an action plan.

The tour extended to Montreal, where the assembly members delved into the culture and economy of Quebec. They began with introductory meetings with key figures like Assistant Deputy Minister for Relations with the Americas, Economic Affairs, and Strategic Intelligence, Eric Dequenne, and Quebec Delegate General in New York, Martine Hebert. Following these meetings, the assembly members spent the morning learning about Montreal's economic development and its burgeoning tech industry during discussions with leaders from Montreal International.

In the afternoon, the task force met with leaders from CDPQ Global, an investment and pension agency, to gain insights into their investments in U.S. infrastructure and their work in sustainability.

Continuing their dialogue about the business relationship between the United States and Canada, Jones, and his colleagues met with members and leaders from the Federation des chambres de commerce du Quebec (FCCQ). FCCQ represents over 130 chambers of commerce throughout the province, including 1,100 corporate members with significant business ties to the United States.

The tour concluded with a meeting with representatives from the United States Observatory at the Chaire Raoul-Dandurand en etudes strategiques et diplomatiques at the Universite du Quebec a Montreal. This meeting focused on the observatory's research in American politics and its goal to better understand the relationship between the United States and Canada.

In a statement, Jones emphasized the importance of the New York-Canada relationship, particularly for the North Country. He stressed that this vital friendship is often overlooked by the rest of New York and highlighted the significance of the New York-Canada Relations Task Force in bridging this gap. The tour provided valuable insights into trade and business relations, immigration and border policies, as well as Canada's mining industry, knowledge that Jones and his colleagues plan to bring back to Albany.