After Consul General Tom Clark’s successful visit to Harrisburg and Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in November 2023, the Keystone State was happy to return the favor.
On December 1, Pennsylvania Society attendees chose the Consulate General over New York’s countless other entertainment options to celebrate the strong and ongoing relationship between Canada and the Commonwealth. The event was co-hosted by the Pennsylvania Chamber of Black-Owned Business (PACBOB). The organization was launched in 2021 by David Dix and and Marcia Perry Dix to advocate for Black entrepreneurs and business leaders.
The Pennsylvania Society was founded in 1899 by Pennsylvania historian James Barr Ferree while he was living in New York. That year, he invited 55 fellow Pennsylvanians to join him for dinner at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel to “unite Pennsylvanians at home and away from home in bonds of friendship and devotion to their native or adopted state.”
Since then, the society’s Annual Dinner has convened influential political and business leaders to honor their achievements and contributions to the Commonwealth.
In his opening remarks, Consul General Clark lauded the strong commercial ties between Canada and Pennsylvania. For example: Pennsylvania exports more than $15 billion worth of goods and services to Canada each year, while Canadian companies employ more than 30,000 people in the Keystone state.
Consul General Clark attributed much of this success to the well-integrated supply chains connecting both economies and to the simple fact that Canada is within easy reach: “There are no oceans to traverse – just a straight highway north leading to vast opportunities in terms of resources, talent, and innovation.”
Consul General Clark also highlighted several exciting avenues for further economic integration and growth. As large-scale energy producers, both Pennsylvania and Canada face similar challenges and opportunities from the energy transition to a low carbon future, and both are making hydrogen central to their respective energy strategies.
Hydrogen holds the promise of decarbonizing both heavy industry and certain forms of transportation, two carbon-intensive sectors where emissions reductions have so far proven elusive.
Yet Allentown-based industrial gases company Air Products has emerged as a leader in this space, through its $1.6 billion investment into a net-zero hydrogen energy complex in Edmonton.
Backed by investments from the Canadian and Albertan governments, Air Products is harnessing western Canada’s cutting-edge technology and the area’s skilled workforce to build one of the most competitive and lowest-carbon-intensity hydrogen networks in North America.
The liquid hydrogen facility will contribute to continental energy security, while centering Air Products at the forefront of the hydrogen revolution across the continent.
A resilient supply chain for critical minerals across North America is key to energy transition and energy security, and American companies are eager to learn how Canada can fill in important supply chain gaps.
For Philadelphia-based lithium company Livent, the nearby province of Quebec has emerged as a key source of lithium ore. Commercial production from the company’s Nemaska Lithium project is slated to begin in 2025, complementing its plans for downstream lithium hydroxide conversion plants to be built in Becancour, QC.
Consul General Clark also highlighted the significant exchange of innovations and investment between Canada and Pennsylvania. “There are many lessons to be shared between our two jurisdictions about how best to bring about a sustainable jobs boom that empowers labor, the private sector, marginalized communities, and civil society to ensure that no workers are left behind.”
For example, Vancouver-based Nexii Building Solutions is investing in green construction solutions across the Commonwealth by opening manufacturing plants in both Hazleton and Pittsburgh, creating hundreds of local, good-paying green jobs that will build the Pennsylvania of tomorrow.
“As we gear up for a new year, we eagerly anticipate continuing to work hand in hand with Pennsylvania towards our mutual aspirations,” concluded Consul General Clark. “We’re excited about a truly impactful relationship – one where matter to each other.”
