Clark to lobby U.S. mayors on trade issues
Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark will visit Washington, D.C. with five other Canadian mayors to convince their American counterparts of the value of the economic relationship between Canada and the U.S.
Clark’s trip to an annual meeting of American mayors comes amid tension in the trade relationship between the two nations. U.S. President Donald Trump is believed to be considering pulling the United States out of the NAFTA treaty.
The mayors of Edmonton, Surrey, B.C., London, Ont., Gatineau, Que., and Quebec City are also attending.
“I think because of the sensitivity with NAFTA right now and some of these issues, they wanted to make sure that Canada has a real presence at the U.S. Conference of Mayors,” Clark told reporters on Monday. “That’s unique. That Saskatoon is invited is a real opportunity for us to continue to tell our story, to continue to promote all the good things that we have in our city and to learn from others about how to build on that.”
The annual conference is to take place from Wednesday to Friday, and involves mayors of U.S. cities with populations of more than 30,000 people.
Clark, who said it will mark his first trip to Washington, also intends to take part in a workshop with the Strong Cities Network, which uses social cohesion to combat violent extremism.
“We’ve learned things here in Saskatoon on building an inclusive city and I look forward to learning from others,” Clark said.
The Canadian mayors were invited by the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, which is covering the expenses of the trip.