CBC Archives

You must sign in to leave a comment on this clip.

Camelot comes to Canada

Broadcast Date: May 18, 1961

In the spring of 1961 Canada played host to American royalty, as President John F. Kennedy and his wife Jackie made a two-day visit. While newspapers take note of her pillbox hat and his "Florida-tanned figure," Kennedy is in Ottawa to push for a stronger alliance with Canada in the Cold War era. CBC Television is there as a crowd of 50,000 people gathers on Parliament Hill to catch a glimpse of the first couple.

Camelot comes to Canada

• John F. Kennedy was the 35th U.S. president and served less than one term, from 1961 to 1963. He was assassinated, in Dallas, on Nov. 22, 1963.
• After he arrived at Parliament, Kennedy addressed a joint session of both the House of Commons and the Senate. He said, famously, "Geography has made us neighbours; history has made us friends."
• The president also encouraged Canada to stand with the U.S. against the Communist "threat to liberty."

• The address was met with frequent bursts of applause, cheers and standing ovations.
• Members of Parliament interpreted remarks on the need to increase military ownership as a dig at the Canadian government. Prime Minister John Diefenbaker had been wavering for over a year on whether to acquire nuclear weapons.
• During his address, Kennedy also attempted a few sentences in French, but said he regretted doing so when his wife's French is far superior.

• After the address, the Kennedys attended an intimate 20-person dinner. Guests included: Leader of the Opposition Lester B. Pearson, House of Commons Speaker Roland Michener and Gov. Gen. Georges Vanier.
• The dinner's main course was filet mignon, and for dessert, strawberry tarts were served. After dinner, guests enjoyed brandy and cigars.

• Descriptions of the president and first lady's attire appeared in Canadian newspapers. In Parliament, Kennedy was described as wearing a "dark blue business suit with maroon tie" and noted for his "famous shock of brown hair."
The Globe and Mail reported that, "Mrs. Kennedy had all the ladies ogling the Oleg Cassini evening gown ... a pink-ribbed silk, flounced with three tiers of ruffles and matching stole, reminiscent of the 1920s."

• "Nothing is more vital than the unity of the United States and Canada," said President John F. Kennedy in his address to Parliament. The U.S. president encouraged Canada to join a coalition meant to increase military ownership in the Cold War era.
• President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the first U.S. president to visit Canada's capital, in 1943. He gave his address outside Parliament on a speaker system that echoed throughout the neighbourhood.

Also on May 16:
1854: The Reciprocity Treaty between Canada and the U.S. takes effect. The US agrees to admit most Canadian products duty free; US fishermen can catch within the three-mile limit, land to cure their fish, and navigate the St. Lawrence River freely.
1871: B.C. is admitted as Canada's sixth province.
1930: Canadian prospector Gilbert Labine discovers a valuable deposit of pitchblende, the chief source of uranium and radium, at Great Bear Lake in the Northwest Territories.
2001: The federal government ends its involvement in the mining business when the Prince mine closes in Sydney, N.S. It is the last operating mine owned by Devco, a federal Crown corporation.

Camelot comes to Canada

Medium: Television

Program: CBC Television News

Broadcast Date: May 18, 1961

Anchor: Byng Whitteker

Duration: 2:10

Last updated:
June 8, 2010