Envoy Sees Open Yet Safe Border

(Romina Maurino — The Canadian Press)

U.S. ambassador on Canadian tour

The new U.S. ambassador to Canada says he is confident the two countries can find a way to protect their borders without hampering free trade.

Ambassador David Jacobson took his message to a business audience in Toronto on Thursday, telling them that while addressing terror threats is a key priority, trade is just as important for the economies of both countries.

“The security of both the United States and Canadian people, and efficiency at the border, is not a zero-sum game,” said Jacobson.

“We do not have to choose either security or trade — if we approach both of them intelligently, we can have both of them.”

Jacobson, who is on a tour of Canada after becoming ambassador earlier this month, plans to visit several U.S.-Canada border crossings in the Niagara area today.

He said part of the problem with the border is that much of the infrastructure is outdated — some of it even predates the Second World War. Read more here.