OTTAWA — The latest developments on U.S. President Joe Biden's visit to Ottawa with first lady Jill Biden on Friday. All times eastern.
12:03 p.m.
People all over downtown Ottawa paused to wave or pull out their phone and take a video as Jill Biden’s motorcade whizzed by.
The first lady and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau were in separate vehicles as 19 cars travelled from the Rideau Curling Club to the National Gallery of Canada.
People stepped out of shops onto the sidewalks to watch and wave.
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11:57 a.m.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada has no "greater friend and ally than the United States."
Trudeau made the remark at the start of his meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden.
Trudeau says both have been working closely on building strong economies, fighting climate change and dealing with a "changing geopolitical security context."
Biden says the U.S. is "lucky" to have Canada next door and "there is no fundamental difference in the democratic values" shared by both countries.
He says the pair have a lot to talk about and anticipate accomplishing a lot.
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11:52 a.m.
Green Leader Elizabeth May pulled from her pocket a chocolate bar with bright yellow wrapping that said PEACE in white text, and handed it to the president, who seemed delighted.
Biden and Trudeau signed a large book with gold-rimmed pages, flanked by parliamentary officials including the two Speakers.
They went down a hallway toward Trudeau's office.
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11:45 a.m.
U.S. President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are greeted by a welcoming party on as they arrive on Parliament Hill.
The group includes Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and other opposition party leaders.
Poilievre introduces himself to Biden as the leader of "His Majesty's Loyal Opposition," and then Biden reacts to his use of the word "loyal."
Poilievre says that in Canada, being in opposition is an act of loyalty.
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11:40 a.m.
A helicopter buzzes above as the presidential motorcade slowly drives by Parliament Hill near the Centennial flame towards West Block.
The motorcade is more than a dozen vehicles long, and one of two black Cadillacs with flags on it is holding the president.
A small group of supporters took photos and held signs as it went by at a turtle’s pace.
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11:18 a.m.
Jill Biden and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau sat down at a big, round table in the lounge of the Rideau Curling Club with several high-school students who are involved in various sports, introducing themselves and joking that the teens were missing school.
Grégoire Trudeau spoke to them enthusiastically about the importance of learning about their physical and mental limits, and asked the students to share their experiences with sports and mental health.
She listened attentively while a teenage girl explained the importance of gymnastics to her, as Jill Biden pulled out a notebook and pen and started writing.
Biden told the kids she feels a sense of calm when she begins to exercise, and the teens nodded that they feel the same.
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11 a.m.
Sophie Grégoire Trudeau greeted the first lady with a warm hug at the Rideau Curling Club before heading out into the chilly arena, where two dozen curlers were practising their sport.
Shouts from the ice went quiet, and Jill Biden and Grégoire Trudeau thanked the players for having them, both exclaiming that they love sports.
Grégoire Trudeau spoke about the importance of sports to mental health before practice resumed and a representative from the club offered them a short primer on the game and how it's played.
Both women stayed off the ice as they greeted players.
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10:49 a.m.
Helicopters and drones are flying above Parliament Hill now as security ramps up ahead of Biden’s arrival.
At least three teams of snipers are looking on from the tops of surrounding buildings.
Vehicles have stopped circulating on the Hill itself, and more teams of officers and police vehicles are stationing themselves near the president's expected route.
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10:32 a.m.
Wellington Street, directly in front of Parliament Hill, is crawling with police and media.
Large teams of police are stationed along the street, while eight officers on horseback make their way along the road, which has been closed to traffic since the "Freedom Convoy" a year ago.
A small group of about two dozen people is stationed on Parliament Hill, some of them holding a large sign that reads: "Welcome to Canada."
A single protester associated with the "Freedom Convoy" is holding a large Canadian flag in front of the Hill.
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10:30 a.m.
The two Canadians who were imprisoned in China for nearly three years will be in attendance today as Biden addresses Parliament.
Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig will also attend the gala dinner tonight.
It will be the first public appearance for the two since they were released by China in September 2021, after spending more than a thousand days in prison.
Ukraine's ambassador in Canada, as well as ambassadors from the European Union and other G7 countries are also on the guest list for the address — as are a Ukrainian immigrant to Canada and workers from several Canadian companies, including steel giant Dofasco and rare earth elements mining company Cheetah Resources.
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10:05 a.m.
Two university students from the state of Virginia who were jogging in front of the Parliament Buildings had no idea their president was in town, and they were unfazed by the heavy police presence.
The two men were more interested in snapping photos of the architecture than they were of catching a glimpse of their president.
They declined to give their names, but expressed annoyance that the security detail made them change their scenic running route.
An hour before the president is set to arrive on Parliament Hill, the area remains void of crowds.
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9:48 a.m.
Karla Marcel is visiting Ottawa from the Czech Republic, and while her trip aligns with the president’s visit she has another man on her mind: her son.
Although Biden is just around the corner from her, Karla says she's here to see her son Marcel Marcel play hockey.
She says she has no plans to try to catch a glimpse of Biden, noting her country's president is much younger. She adds that it feels just like any other "normal" day.
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9:35 a.m.
Sparks Street, the pedestrian walkway the runs parallel to Wellington Street and Parliament Hill, was quiet this morning ahead of U.S. President Joe Biden's arrival.
Some businesses along the street frequented by tourists chose not to open in anticipation of their street closing later today
A worker at the Ottawa Bike Cafe says it’s "not really" exciting to be working today despite the pomp and circumstance around Biden’s visit.
She says it feels just like any other day: a slow start for morning customers.
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9:30 a.m.
Canada and the United States have already agreed in principle to fortify immigration rules that have led to a spike in the number of people slipping across their shared border in order to claim asylum in Canada.
The rules currently allow either country to turn back asylum seekers from outside the U.S. or Canada who try to make a claim at an official entry point.
The changes would extend those rules to cover unofficial crossings too.
A draft order posted today in the U.S. Federal Register describing details of the proposed "supplement" to the existing Safe Third Country Agreement, as it's known, says it would take effect Saturday.
That supplement, known as the "Additional Protocol of 2022," would "extend the STCA’s application … to individuals who cross between the official (points of entry) along the U.S.-Canada shared border, including certain bodies of water."
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9:05 a.m.
There is a heavy security presence stationed around Parliament Hill, including from the Mounties, the Parliamentary Protective Service and local police ahead of U.S. President Joe Biden's visit.
Dozens of officers line Wellington Street in front of Parliament Hill, which has been closed to most vehicles since last winter's "Freedom Convoy" protests, and nearby intersections.
Members of the public wishing to access Parliament Hill and visit the Centennial Flame are being directed to a security tent before entering.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 24, 2023.
The Canadian Press
