Ambassador Wilkins: Visit to New Brunswick

27-28 October 2008

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Meet Ambassador Wilkins

New Brunswick -- As October wound down, I had the opportunity to visit New Brunswick for what will likely be my final visit there as Ambassador. I have really enjoyed every one of my trips to this lovely province and this visit offered me the opportunity to visit historic sites, to meet with students at Mount Allison University and to speak once again with your dynamic Premier, Shawn Graham.

Mount Allison University in Sackville was founded in 1839, and along with maintaining its deep historic roots, its focus firmly is in the future - it was one of the first Universities in the country to have a completely wireless campus. I was welcomed warmly by the President of Mount Allison, Dr. Robert Campbell and his wife Christl, and had lunch with them and students, faculty and administrators of the University. I then addressed a large gathering of the Mount Allison community and spoke of my time in Canada as Ambassador and the wonderful relationship that exists between our two countries. I think the deep historic ties that unite our two wonderful countries are nowhere more evident than in the Atlantic Provinces.

Following my visit to Mount Allison, I headed to Saint John to accept a longstanding invitation from Derek Oland and his son, Andrew, to visit Moosehead Breweries. Shortly after my arrival in Canada, I mentioned that I enjoyed relaxing on my porch with a Moosehead beer. The Olands very quickly and graciously sent me a package filled with Moosehead promotional items and extended an invitation to visit the brewery. Moosehead Breweries is the only remaining Canadian owned brewery, and it was a great opportunity to visit the site and chat with the family behind Moosehead's success. Premier Shawn Graham was kind enough to accompany me on this outing and it is always a pleasure to be with him. The Premier and I met again the next morning for breakfast in Fredericton and discussed the importance of the relationship between New Brunswick and our New England states.

My visit was bittersweet, knowing that this was likely my last official visit to the Province, but at the same time, I'm reassured by the knowledge that these wonderful connections between our two countries will remain long beyond my tenure as Ambassador.