Hope springs anew! With the election of a new prime minister, Canada is undergoing a shift in momentum towards trade diversification and negotiation of new trade agreements. Mark Carney, seasoned head of both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, promises a sharpened approach to the new realities Canada is facing. In the coming months, the CCCJ looks forward to welcoming our new prime minister and members of his cabinet to Japan.

On May 17, several of our members had the opportunity to join ceremonies marking the official opening of the Canada pavilion at Osaka Expo 2025. I heard many comments as to how the pavilion felt inviting and a beautiful reflection of Canada from coast to coast to coast. Personally, I was impressed by the great work by Quebec creators, such as Robert Lepage, on the pavilion and its exhibits – not to mention the pavilion’s poutinerie. I encourage all our members to visit Expo – and especially to enjoy a cold Canadian beverage on the pavilion’s terrace. A great way to spend those hot Osaka summer days!

As summer approaches, this month it is once again time for our CCCJ Board of Governor elections. This year we have a large slate of candidates and I hope you will join us on Thursday June 19 from 6pm for a chance to meet all of them (see Chamber website for details). And of course, please vote on-line in July. I wish best of luck to all our candidates and look forward to sharing ideas for the future of CCCJ in our 50th anniversary year.

Finally, let me congratulate our Publications & Communications Committee and the editor of our magazine, John R. Harris, on his outstanding work on last issue’s feature article on our sustaining member Alimentation Couche-Tard. The article documented the efforts of Couche-Tard founder Alain Bouchard, and his rise from a single dépanneur in Laval to a global concern that is aiming to acquire much larger rival 7-11. Much to our surprise, the article was featured on TV Tokyo’s lead news program. How great to see our magazine expanding its messaging power! And here’s wishing success to our cherished member, Alimentation Couche-Tard.