Josef Osterneck, member of the Ottawa-Gatineau Chapter of Democrats Abroad Canada, extends a welcome to the new Ambassador, David Jacobson, to Canada.

President Barack Obama appointed his close colleague and fellow Chicago lawyer, David Jacobson, the United States Ambassador to Canada.

 DAC Ottawa-Gatineau, as well as the DA Chapters across Canada, welcome him to Canada's Capital.  Having worked with the campaign from its seminal moments and having served as Special Assistant to the President for Personnel, Ambassador Jacobson understands the inner workings of the Obama White House.  He will be able to quickly convey Canada's concerns to the President on a regular basis.  Moreover, having spent 30 years in the areas of complex commercial litigation, business law, and trade issues, Ambassador Jacobson has the vital understanding of the economic issues that predominate our Countries' relationship.

Since presenting his credentials to Governor General Michaëlle Jean, Ambassador Jacobson has been a busy man, blogging his experiences along the way at http://blogs.ottawa.usembassy.gov/ambassador/.

The blog records the routines ordinary Americans, including an Ambassador, experience when settling into Canada.  When applying for his initial provincial driver's license plate, Ambassador Jacobson contrasted Ontario's customer service to the dreaded long lines in Chicago and called it a "first class experience."  While such "blarney" may not be appreciated by the less diplomatic, we expatriates may appreciate Ambassador Jacobson's test of the US Consular Service.  He admitted seeing "lines of people waiting outside US Embassies or Consulates" and decided to become an "applicant for the day."  Subjecting himself to the security screen, he even endured an interview.  He described the consular staff as "friendly, efficient, and through" though, personally I'll hold my judgment until my next requisite passport renewal.

In addition to the routines of settling into Ottawa and eating Obama Cookies at the ByWard Market,  the Ambassador's blog records the fulfillment of his pledge to travel across Canada - to get to know its people and "the beauty and the grandeur" of the country.   He drove 1200km in 2 days around Atlantic Canada from Halifax to Charlottetown to Fredericton and back, traversing the Confederation Bridge.  He withstood the winds of Signal Hill and discussed energy policy with Premier Danny Williams.  He and his wife, Julie, ate poutine in Old Montreal with his son, a McGill student.  He attended the swearing in of Premier Selinger and had lunch with Grand Chief Evans of the Manitoba First Nations.  Rob Norris, the Saskatchewan Minister of Advance Education, invited him to have dinner in the very room where many Saskatoon citizens had watched the November 4 returns elect President Barack Obama.  His trip across Alberta included a discussion with the environmental group, the Pembina Institute, regarding the oil sands, and a subsequent, contrasting discussion Premier Stelmach.  Finally, he visited Edmonton 5th and 6th graders whose librarian, a Louisiana expatriate, taught them about the historical significance of Barack Obama's election.

During his recent speech to the Economic Club of Canada, Ambassador Jacobson said he wanted to come here "because Canada and the United States share the richest, the broadest, and the deepest relationship that exists between any two countries on earth" adding "we are a family with deep connections across the continent that have developed . . . over generations."   The members of DAC-Ottawa-Gatineau, whose familial ties and experiences span the border, embody this deep connection. We invite Ambassador Jacobson to a discussion about our experiences and welcome him to our adopted home.