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State Senator Patty Ritchie welcomed representatives of the Canadian, Ontario and Quebec governments to the State Capitol Tuesday, where the country was honored for its relationship with New York State, as well as the key role it plays in our regional and state economies.

Those visiting the Capitol included John Prato, Consul General of Canada in New York, Jean-Claude Lauzon, General Delegate of Quebec in New York and Monique Smith, Ontario Provincial representative to the United States.

During the day’s Senate Session, Senator Ritchie honored the group with a Resolution that proclaimed February 2nd as “Canada-Quebec-Ontario Day in the State of New York.” In addition, the Senator, who represents the longest length of the International Boundary between New York and Canada—totaling roughly 175 miles—spoke about the unique relationship between the two countries, as well as about the importance of Canada to our regional and state economies.

“I’ve always been keenly aware of the wonderful honor it is to be able to live and share a relationship with the Canadians across the border,” said Senator Ritchie in her remarks on the Senate floor. 

“I’m even more keenly aware of it now as the Senator who represents nearly 175 miles of border along the St. Lawrence River and Ontario.  The economics between Canadians and New Yorkers, especially in my district, is something that’s extremely important to our local economy, and is extremely important to New York as a whole.”

In addition to joining lawmakers for Tuesday’s Senate Session, visitors from Canada also participated in a panel discussion on the importance of cross-border investments between New York State and Canada.