Spotlight Canada kicks off yearlong celebration

Consul General of Canada Marcy Grossman presents facts about Canada at the Spotlight Canada inaugural event, Sept. 18, 2015.

Jeanette Blain | News Editor | [email protected]

The inaugural event for this year’s Spotlight Canada kicked off what will be a yearlong calendar of events that celebrate Canadian history and culture.

Several speakers shared their expertise on the important connection between the U.S. and Canada.

According to deputy director and COO of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development Kimberly Henrie, “Canada is one of Utah’s key trade partners. Utah consistently imports an average of $1.5 billion in Canadian goods each year.”

“Canada and the U.S. share the largest trading partnership in the world,” said Marcy Grossman, consul general of Canada. “Canada is actually the No. 1 customer for U.S. products and services. We buy more from the United States than China, Japan and the U.K. combined, contributing to nearly nine million American jobs.”

She said nearly 79,000 jobs in Utah depend directly or indirectly on trade with Canada, and that Canada is also more prosperous because of its connection with Utah.

Other speakers included Vance Gough, assistant professor of Management; Baldomero Lago, senior director of the International Center and Multicultural Studies; Paul Campbell, the Hon. Consul of Canada; and Fred White, UVU associate vice president of Academic Affairs.

Musical numbers by Miles Knapp, Douglas Smith, Melissa Heath and singers from the UVU School of Music entertained the audience in between speakers.

Native students from the Cultural Envoy Leadership Program performed a Native American Hoop Dance and a Fancy Shawl Dance.

The Spotlight Canada initiative is sponsored by the Office of International and Multicultural Studies. Each year they feature a different region. In previous years they have highlighted Peru, Mexico, Eurasia, Brazil and China.

“The Global Spotlight is an opportunity for us to join our community, our friends and our students, and to let them know what the country’s all about,” Lago said. “We are excited to showcase this wonderful nation known as Canada.”