A recent trip to Boston gave Athabasca-Barrhead-Westlock MLA Glenn van Dijken a chance to talk with his American counterparts, present on the benefits of international diplomacy at the state level, and help correct some misassumptions in a turbulent time for the two countries.
MLA van Dijken, alongside MLAs Angela Pitt and Chelsae Petrovic, represented Alberta at the National Conference of State Legislators’ (NCSL) 50th annual summit Aug. 2–7.
The conference, which consists of state-level representatives from all across America, gave the Alberta politicians a chance to advocate for cross-border projects, build trade relationships with individual states, and answer questions about the province’s relationship with its southern neighbours as Canada and the United States continue to work towards a new trade deal.
“The highlight for me was being able to present to a breakout session on Alberta’s perspective on the importance of NCSL’s International Advisory Council and promote opportunities for partnering with Alberta,” said van Dijken.
Outside of Alberta, the only other Canadian province affiliated with NCSL is Quebec, so it’s a unique opportunity for the province to build relationships on an individual level.
“I attended a couple of other breakout sessions with regards to tariffs and the like, but the real goal of it all for our government is to continue to present the value proposition of working together on shared priorities,” said van Dijken.
“That’s what we find very helpful, getting one-on-one with lawmakers in the U.S. states, primarily with the states that we have a trade relationship.”
The August trip was the second time van Dijken was south of the 49th Parallel this summer for discussions with the NCSL. Back in June he headed to Cedar Falls in Iowa where he represented Alberta on the legislature’s agricultural task force.
The concerns American states have when it comes to agriculture are similar to discussions happening in Canada according to van Dijken. Popular topics were foreign ownership of agricultural land as well as the impact large data centres – similar to a proposed project here in Alberta – can have on local water tables and electrical grids.
Throughout the two visits, van Dijken said his messaging has been consistent; there’s a wide range of benefits for both parties if Alberta and the states continue to work together, regardless of what is happening on a federal level.
“This is a partnership where the value proposition is that we can both be winners in it. The products that are being imported by the United States, whether that’s energy, agriculture, minerals, we’re highlighting how those resources bring value to the American companies. They upgrade these resources and sell it around the world, even back to Canada in a lot of cases.”
The trip also gives representatives a chance to learn from each other about a variety of projects that are important to their home regions. Using the often-discussed dairy tariffs as an example, van Dijken said the frank discussion helps representatives clear up misinformation and bring accurate data back to their own legislatures.
“It’s one of the things we also discuss with our U.S. representatives; why supply management is a thing in Canada and how we continue to work with the United States in our trade agreements to allow some of that trade to actually happen, free of tariffs,” said van Dijken.
“The thing that concerns me the most in all of this discussion is, a lot of people approach me and they’re hearing things on the news. They want to know, “Are we still friends or is this an adversarial role.’ We’re there to ensure them that we’re looking out for their best interests as well as our own best interests.”
