Derek H. Burney

October 25, 2021

Former US Secretary of State Colin Powell, who passed away at 84 on October 18^th, was a terrific individual, a real patriot, and a good friend. I was fortunate to work with him as a colleague during my time in the Prime Minister’s Office and later, when I served as Canadian ambassador in Washington.

Here are a few of my favourite memories:

I first met Colin when he was national security adviser to President Ronald Reagan, and I was Prime Minister Brian Mulroney’s chief of staff. At that time, he told me that the calls he dreaded most at the White House were from Margaret Thatcher and Brian Mulroney. When I asked why, Colin responded, “Because I could never get the president to say ‘no’ to either of them!”

During the first Gulf War in 1991, in which Canada participated, the US Air Force accidentally bombed a hospital in Baghdad. It created a furor in our Parliament and the PM stated that he would instruct his ambassador to register concern with the appropriate American authorities. At this time, Colin was Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, so I called, saying that I needed to meet him urgently. “C’mon over” was the reply. So, I did.

I started by saying that I doubted he followed the goings on in Canada’s Parliament on a regular basis. He assured me that he did not. So, I explained gently the ruckus in Ottawa from the previous day’s bombing as the reason for my call. He glared at me, picked up a heavy file on his desk and flung it at me shouting “Do you want to help me pick our bombing targets. Go ahead.” I declined, saying that I would dutifully report that I had expressed concern, as instructed, and that the chair of the JCS had diplomatically taken note.

He told me that the calls he dreaded most at the White House were from Margaret Thatcher and Brian Mulroney. When I asked why, Colin responded, ‘Because I could never get the president to say ‘no’ to either of them!’

Later on during the Gulf War, we hosted a performance by the Cirque du Soleil for a charitable cause in Washington and invited several of our Washington friends and their families to attend including Colin, his wife Alma, who was a close friend of my wife, Joan, and their then-quite young grandson. Colin came in civvies but with a phalanx of armed security around him. There was a war on, after all.

During the show, one of the mime comedians started to venture into the crowd to sit on the laps of various guests. One he selected was my friend Colin, who was seated two or three rows in front of me. The comedian not only sat on his lap, but he pulled out a pair of scissors and cut off Colin’s tie. The security team rose as one with hands on their holsters and Colin glared at me once again, assuming I had set him up. I shook my head vigorously. I don’t think he believed me.

I went backstage after the show and asked the comedian, who was from Chicoutimi, if he knew whose tie he had sliced. “No” he replied. “That was Colin Powell,” said I. “Who’s he?” asked Mr. Scissorhands. I explained delicately how close he came to an international incident.

It was a very special time for Canada in Washington, and relations between President Reagan and later Bush 41, and Prime Minister Mulroney set the tone. Over the years, Colin and I had many more serious exchanges on foreign policy and national security, but the above encounters are among the moments I recalled fondly amid the sadness on hearing of his passing.

Colin Powell was a wonderful colleague, whose humanity and sense of duty left me with many treasured memories. It was a great time to be serving Canada in Washington, and his presence was a part of that.

Contributing Writer Derek H. Burney is a former career foreign service officer who served as chief of staff to Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in 1987-88, and as Canada’s Ambassador to the United States from 1989-93.