Canadian and U.S. flags are seen flying near Parliament Hill in Ottawa on March 22, 2023. The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld
Commentary
There was free trade between Canada and the United States before there was a country called Canada. In 1854, 13 years before Confederation, the colonies of British North America signed a reciprocity agreement with the Americans that allowed for free trade in lumber, meat, grains, coal, pitch and tar, and other basic goods. This quickly led to an economic boom throughout Canada that lasted until the Americans revoked the deal in 1866.
