Canada’s commander in chief visiting Colorado
Canada’s commander in chief will be in Colorado over Memorial Day weekend to celebrate the ties between the U.S. and Canadian militaries.
David Johnston, the governor general of Canada, has been traveling through the United States. His trip, which finishes in Colorado, included stops in Georgia, Florida, Texas and Oklahoma.
“We like to say he saves the best for last,” said Marcy Grossman, the Denver-based consul general for Canada, who oversees relations with Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Utah and Wyoming.
Johnston’s visit to Colorado was not by coincidence. Colorado is home to a variety of military sites with strong Canadian ties, including the North American Aerospace Defense Command, which is a combined U.S.-Canadian organization that oversees North American aerospace.
Johnston will visit NORAD’s Cheyenne Mountain Complex on Sunday.
He also is scheduled to speak Monday at a Memorial Day service at Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver.
“Some might wonder, ‘What is a Canadian leader doing at an American Memorial Day celebration?’ ” Grossman said. “But Canada was actually first into World War II ahead of the U.S. A lot of Americans who wanted to fight, even before the U.S. joined following the attack on Pearl Harbor, decided to sign up for the Royal Canadian Air Force. Almost 9,000 people joined before Pearl Harbor, serving alongside their Canadian brothers and sisters.”
Johnston will join Gov. John Hickenlooper and U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman for the ceremonial laying of the wreath to honor the fallen during the Fort Logan service.
“Over Memorial Day weekend, there’s just a sense of remembrance for the people who have served their country valiantly and for those who lost their lives,” Johnston said. “Now when we look at our current relationship, and into the future, we’ll celebrate that we’ve been strong allies for 200 years.”
Johnston will finish his U.S. trip on Tuesday by moderating a discussion between Canadian and U.S. educational leaders and officially opening the Canada Pavilion at the 2016 NAFSA annual conference in Denver.
“We really celebrate the great energy that exists in the state of Colorado,” he said. “We draw great inspiration to see how people here tackle particular challenges.”