New North America Initiative Publishes Calgary Statement

In the darkness of the current tension with the U.S., hope for the future of the relationship is emerging from the next generation of North American leaders who have joined elder statesmen to produce a vision for the future of our shared continent. Grassroots polling in the U.S. by the New North America Initiative that asks about the state of the relationship a decade out shows public sentiment that the relationship not only can but will improve. This confirms what the next generation of leaders is saying.  

This matters. The future of a Canada-U.S. relationship we cannot escape is being written by current events; without a countervailing voice, the darkness of the present will perpetuate itself to become the future.  

The Calgary Letter stating the vision for the future of our shared continent is a product of the New North America Summit in June that in included many of the current leaders in public policy in both countries. More importantly, it brought together the next generation of leaders. They will inherit the fallout of a mess they didn’t create and are stepping up to ensure this long-standing partnership endures. 

While current events dominate the news, the Calgary Letter lays out a path forward.  

“Everyone is dealing with immediate issues, but if no one consciously and actively tries to shape the future, then it will, by default, be written by current events and that doesn’t serve us well for the future of the continent,” said Carlo Dade, Director of International Policy and the New North America Initiative at the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy.