US embassy cable - 05HALIFAX16

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HALIFAX 000016 
 
SIPDIS 
 
JOINT STAFF FOR US SECT PJBD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, ETRD, BEXP, ASEC, MARR, PINR, CA, Nova Scotia, Trade, Canada-US Exchange 
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S VISIT TO NOVA SCOTIA -- SECURITY AND TRADE 
 
1.  SUMMARY:   Ambassador Cellucci visited Nova Scotia January 
13-15, stressing key policy goals of security and trade.  He met 
with U.S. and Canadian military officers and the leadership of 
the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre, the Lt-Governor and the Premier 
of the province.  He gave several media interviews and spoke to 
the new AMCHAM Atlantic Chapter, a group at the provincial 
legislature and approximately 600 students at Acadia University. 
 CG accompanied the Ambassador to all events.  END SUMMARY. 
 
SECURITY 
-------- 
 
2.  The Ambassador began his visit to Nova Scotia with a 
briefing at 12 Wing Shearwater near Halifax on the U.S. MV-22 
Osprey, which is undergoing icing testing at the base.  Marine 
test pilot Major Frank Conway described the work he and roughly 
60 civilian technicians were doing to fly the tilt rotor 
aircraft in conditions that would allow them to record the 
performance of the aircraft and its deicing systems.  Conway 
described the support received at Shearwater as "in some ways 
better than what we would get at home."  Colonel Al Blair, 
Commander of 12 Wing, joined the briefing as well, saying that 
the base and the Canadian Air Force were pleased to be able to 
work with the USMC in the test program. 
 
3.  Following the briefing at Shearwater, the Ambassador met 
with Rear Admiral Dan McNeil (Commander Maritime Forces 
Atlantic) and Brigadier General Ray Romses (Commander Land 
Forces Area Atlantic) at McNeil's office.  Both McNeil and 
Romses noted with appreciation the Ambassador's consistent 
support for increased Canadian defense spending.  McNeil 
described his command's commitment to interoperability and close 
cooperation with the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, noting areas 
such as joint exercises and in particular the Canadian Navy's 
submarine program.  He indicated that a French aircraft carrier 
and associated vessels would coming to Halifax in June and that 
he had reprogrammed Canadian participation in exercises with the 
UK to join the French and (he expected) U.S. ships in exercises 
in the north Atlantic. 
 
4.  The Ambassador traveled as well to Cornwallis (about two and 
a half hours southwest of Halifax) to the Lester B. Pearson 
Peacekeeping Centre (PPC).  At the PPC, housed at the former 
Canadian Forces Base Cornwallis, he meet with President Sandra 
Dunsmore and other key staff to discuss the development of 
peacekeeping policies and the PPC's role in training 
peacekeepers worldwide.  From the discussion it appears that the 
PPC has to some extent turned a corner; Dunsmore was confident 
that the PPC had moved beyond financial difficulties associated 
with reduced federal government funding and was now able to 
focus on what it did best, creation and running of training 
modules and exercises for international peacekeeping students. 
 
 
TRADE 
----- 
 
5.  The Ambassador was the keynote speaker at a dinner which 
formally launched the Atlantic Chapter of the AMCHAM.  Event 
organizers had expected 50 - 75 guests including founding 
members of the Chapter, but ended up selling nearly 140 tickets. 
 AMCHAM leadership was particularly pleased with the turnout and 
enthusiasm for the Atlantic Chapter.  The Ambassador was given 
an award by the group for his strong support of AMCHAM during 
his tenure. 
 
OUTREACH 
-------- 
 
6.  The Ambassador spoke to the press on several occasions 
during his visit, including a one-on-one interview with ATV's 
Steve Murphy, host of the most popular supper-hour news program 
in Canada according to the most recent ratings.  The ATV 6PM 
news is broadcast to the three Maritime provinces and is watched 
by nearly 350,000 people on average. 
 
7.  Ambassador met with the Lt-Governor of Nova Scotia, Myra 
Freeman, and her husband Lawrence.  Both thanked him for his 
interest in and support for the province during his tenure as 
Ambassador.  Premier John Hamm expressed many of the same 
sentiments during a private meeting with the Ambassador, 
particularly noting the work to get DHS preclearance for Halifax 
International Airport and to re-open the border to Canadian 
cattle.  Asked about his future in politics, Hamm did not 
explicitly say he planned to retire after this term in office 
but noted that he was 67 and if he were to run again he would 
have to give at least a three-year commitment to the people of 
the province to be a credible candidate.  At a subsequent 
reception for approximately 100 people in the historic Red Room 
of the provincial legislature, Hamm thanked the Ambassador for 
his interest in the province and his friendship.  The 
Ambassador's remarks stressed the importance of strong 
U.S.-Canada ties. 
 
8.  In addition to his AMCHAM and Province House speeches, the 
Ambassador spoke to and took questions from students at Acadia 
University in Wolfville, about an hour outside of Halifax.  The 
large response to the event made the University change the venue 
to the Convocation Hall, where approximately 600 students 
attended.  Questions ranged across the political spectrum, with 
many focusing on Iraq, the war on terror and missile defense. 
Following the Q and A Acadia President Gail Dinter-Gotlieb 
hosted a lunch for students, faculty and administration that 
gave the Ambassador a chance to meet Acadia students from 
Massachusetts as well as to discuss the importance of American 
and Canadian students studying in each others' countries as a 
way of improving mutual understanding. 
 
9.  The final event on the program was a private dinner hosted 
by CG and his wife for the Ambassador, federal Fisheries and 
Oceans Minister (as well as Nova Scotia cabinet representative) 
Geoff Regan and his wife Kelly, Nova Scotia Human Rights 
Commissioner Mayann Francis, and the President of the Bristol 
Group (opinion research and communications) Rick Emberley and 
his wife Mary.  The event gave the Ambassador a chance to hear a 
number of different views of the prospects and concerns in the 
province and in Atlantic Canada. 
 
HILL