Latest news with #NewNorthAmericaInitiative
Epoch Times
19-05-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
Alberta Launches $6.5 Million Research Initiative Focused on Canada-US Relations and Policy
The Alberta government says it wants to fill a research gap in U.S.-Canada relations to better understand the evolving North American dynamic and help the province address the impact of U.S. policy shifts. The new research program, called the New North America Initiative, would bring together the 'brightest minds' from academia, government, and the private sector from across the continent to analyze developments in U.S.-Canada relations and create policy proposals to enhance collaboration between the two countries, Premier Danielle Smith said in a May 16 She said that while the relationship between the two countries has been strained in recent months, a decades-long bond still unites them, and that a clearer understanding of the situation could help assess what is effective and what could be improved for the benefit of both sides. 'A strong and collaborative relationship with the United States is essential to Alberta's long-term success,' Smith The province is allocating $6.5 million over the next three years to the initiative, which will be led by the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy and will involve collaboration with a number of Alberta and U.S. universities. Those institutions include the University of Alberta, University of Lethbridge, Mount Royal University, University of Nebraska, University of Colorado, Arizona State University, and Texas-based Rice University. Related Stories 5/16/2025 5/16/2025 Former Advanced Education Minister Rajan Sawhney, who was 'This narrow focus too often fails to reflect the priorities or even the realities of Western Canada,' she said at the May 16 press conference. 'If we are to respond effectively to these shifting dynamics, all parts of Canada must be heard and reflected in our academic and policy thinking.' She noted that following the recent closure of the Canada Institute at the Wilson Center in Washington, Alberta's new research initiative will be the only one in North America focused solely on Canada-U.S. relations. The Canada Institute had served as a policy research organization focused on promoting understanding of Canada in the United States. The province says the New North America Initiative will give the students involved hands-on research experience while helping them build skills for careers in government, the private sector, or civil society. The project ' s initial main focus will be on bilateral relations in the context of Alberta, the province said.
CBC
17-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
University of Calgary launches initiative to study new relationship with the U.S.
Alberta is putting $6.5 million toward a new initiative at the University of Calgary to study how Canada's relationship with the United States is changing with U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House. "It's no secret that our relationship has hit a rocky patch these past few months," said Premier Danielle Smith on Friday. "And while tensions have ridden high, let us be clear — this relationship is far from over." The funds, to be provided over three years, will establish the New North America Initiative based in the university's School of Public Policy. Researchers will be tasked with developing a vision of what the continental relationship could become at a time of increasing trade uncertainty and geopolitical turmoil. "I think it's clear to everyone that we aren't going back to where we were a few years ago, or even during the first Trump administration," said Carlo Dade, the School of Public Policy's international policy director. Trump's first administration turned into a stress test for the federal government when he hit Canada with steel and aluminum tariffs and ripped up the North American Free Trade Agreement. Negotiations on the deal that replaced NAFTA — the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade, or CUSMA — were tense, and former prime minister Justin Trudeau had a notoriously rocky relationship with Trump. The continental trade pact was still hailed a success. Canadians who expected to see the friendly bilateral relationship with the U.S. restored with the passage of CUSMA were taken aback by the unprecedented tariffs and annexation threats that accompanied Trump's return to the White House. Many were appalled when Canada became an early target of the president's insults — but many never expected Trump to follow through on his tariff threats. "We have consistently misjudged what a Trump administration will do," Dade said. Trump hit Canada with economy-wide duties in March, then partially walked them back a few days later for imports compliant with CUSMA. Canada is also being hit with levies on steel, aluminum and automobiles. Canada can no longer continue "driving forward by looking in the rear-view mirror instead of looking clearly at what lies ahead and what's coming," Dade said. Canadians must abandon their nostalgic attachment to the old relationship, he said, and imagine instead what it could become. The university's initiative will have interrelated parts. It will conduct research on immediate challenges facing Albertans due to the deterioration of relations with the United States. It also will set up collaboration between Albertans and researchers at American universities to help them better understand each other. 'We need new thinking' Martha Hall Findlay, director of the School of Public Policy, said in a media statement that "we need new thinking and new ways of engaging, and we need the work behind this to come from new places and new voices on both sides of the border." Dade said the fact that the work will be done outside both Ottawa and Washington will help it break away from traditional thinking and come up with ideas to solve problems facing both countries. Cabinet minister Rajan Sawhney, who was moved from advanced education to the Indigenous relations portfolio on Friday, said there is very little research dedicated to the study of Canada-U.S. relations at Canadian universities. She said it too often "fails to reflect the priorities or even the realities of Western Canada." The new Alberta initiative comes after Trump signed an executive order to essentially shut down an influential think tank Canadians have used for many years to get their messages out in Washington, D.C. The March order shuttered nearly all operations at the Wilson Center and terminated its Canada Institute. Christopher Sands, who was the Canada Institute's director, said it's essential that Canadians continue to have meaningful conversations with Americans as the relationship between the two countries changes. "We've come to the end of what we will look back on as being a very special period in the relationship," said Sands, director of Johns Hopkins University's Center for Canadian Studies. Canadians were "lulled into a sense of false complacency," Sands said, but Trump's tariffs have shown the need for urgent action. Canada can no longer assume that everything will go back to normal, he said. Shifting American views on Canada and trade suggest that think tanks also need to adapt, Sands said. The New North America Initiative could meet the moment, he added. Dade said the initiative will also listen to voices in what he calls the "New Right" and "New Left" to understand what could come after the current Trump administration.
Global News
16-05-2025
- Business
- Global News
University of Calgary launches initiative to explore Canada's changing relationship with U.S.
The University of Calgary is launching an initiative to study how Canada's relationship with the United States is changing with U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House. Researchers at the New North America Initiative, based in the university's School of Public Policy, have been tasked with coming up with a vision of what the continental relationship could become at a time of increasing trade uncertainty and geopolitical turmoil. 'I think it's clear to everyone that we aren't going back to where we were a few years ago, or even during the first Trump administration,' said Carlo Dade, the School of Public Policy's international policy director. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is set to announce provincial funding to support the initiative later Friday. 'With the crisis in Canada-U.S. relations, it's clear our traditional policies and the ways we engage the Americans and their federal and state governments have not been enough,' Martha Hall Findlay, director of the School of Public Policy, said in a media statement. Story continues below advertisement 'We need new thinking and new ways of engaging, and we need the work behind this to come from new places and new voices on both sides of the border.' 1:38 Danielle Smith denounces U.S. tariffs, suggests Canada secures new trade relationships Trump's first administration turned into a stress test for the federal government when he hit Canada with steel and aluminum tariffs and tore up the North American Free Trade Agreement. Negotiations on the deal that replaced NAFTA — the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade, or CUSMA — were tense and former prime minister Justin Trudeau had a notoriously rocky relationship with Trump. The continental trade pact was still hailed a success. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Canadians who expected to see the friendly bilateral relationship with the U.S. restored with the passage of CUSMA were taken aback by the unprecedented tariffs and annexation threats that accompanied Trump's return to the White House. Story continues below advertisement Many were appalled when Canada became an early target of the president's insults — but many never expected Trump to follow through on his tariff threats. 1:16 Carney says he asked Trump to stop making comments about Canada being the 51st state Trump hit Canada with economywide duties in March, then partially walked them back a few days later for imports compliant with CUSMA. Canada is also being hit with levies on steel, aluminum and automobiles. 'We have consistently misjudged what a Trump administration will do,' Dade said. Canada can no longer continue 'driving forward by looking in the rear-view mirror instead of looking clearly at what lies ahead and what's coming,' Dade said. Canadians must abandon their nostalgic attachment to the old relationship, Dade said, and imagine what it could become. The university's initiative will have interrelated parts. It will conduct research on immediate challenges facing Albertans due to the deterioration of relations with the U.S. It also will set up collaboration between Albertans and researchers at American universities to help them better understand each other. Story continues below advertisement 1:25 Canada could restrict oil exports to US if trade war escalates: energy minister Dade said the fact that the work will be done outside both Ottawa and Washington will help it break away from traditional thinking and come up with ideas to solve problems facing both countries. 'Through this initiative, the University of Calgary and the School of Public Policy are taking the lead in bringing together the expertise of our researchers and partners to provide evidence-based public policy advice to government at a critical moment in Canada-U.S. relations,' said Ed McCauley, University of Calgary president and vice-chancellor, in a statement. The new Alberta initiative comes after Trump signed an executive order to essentially shut down an influential think tank Canadians have used for many years to get their messages out in Washington, D.C. The March order shuttered nearly all operations at the Wilson Center and terminated its Canada Institute. Story continues below advertisement Christopher Sands, who was the Canada Institute director, said it's essential that Canadians continue to have meaningful conversations with Americans as the relationship between the two countries changes. 'We've come to the end of what we will look back on as being a very special period in the relationship,' said Sands, director of Johns Hopkins University's Center for Canadian Studies. Canadians were 'lulled into a sense of false complacency,' Sands said, but Trump's tariffs have shown the need for urgent action. Canada can no longer assume that everything will go back to normal, he said. Changing American views about Canada and trade show that think tanks also need to adapt, Sands said. The New North America Initiative could meet the moment, he added. Dade said the initiative will listening to voices in what he calls the 'New Right' and 'New Left' to understand what could come after the current Trump administration. 'We need to know who these people are before they suddenly start imposing tariffs,' he said.
Toronto Star
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Star
University of Calgary launches initiative to study new relationship with the U.S.
CALGARY - The University of Calgary is launching an initiative to study how Canada's relationship with the United States is changing with U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House. Researchers at the New North America Initiative, based in the university's School of Public Policy, have been tasked with coming up with a vision of what the continental relationship could become at a time of increasing trade uncertainty and geopolitical turmoil.
Toronto Star
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Star
University of Calgary launches program to study new relationship with the U.S.
CALGARY - The University of Calgary is launching an initiative to study how Canada's relationship with the United States is changing with U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House. Researchers at the New North America Initiative, based in the university's School of Public Policy, have been tasked with coming up with a vision of what the continental relationship could become at a time of increasing trade uncertainty and geopolitical turmoil.
