Former U.S. president Barack Obama rounded out his cross-Canada tour with a stop in Vancouver Tuesday, where he remarked on climate change, globalization and his time in office alongside his family.
At Black Press Media, we took our favourite comments the 44th president made during his Q-and-A with Greater Vancouver Board of Trade president Iain Black.
READ MORE: Obama urges B.C. crowd to take action on climate change
鈥淚 had to figure out how to use a coffee maker.鈥� 鈥� On one of the daily challenges during his transition out of the White House after eight years as president.
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鈥淲hen you鈥檙e president, you see how much work is required to keep the whole thing afloat, which is why it is really good to have competent people in there.鈥� 鈥� On how the role of the United States in global trade between nations.
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鈥淭he point is we should be friends and allies, and frankly the nature of the tensions that exist between us, on the stage of global politics, are incidental.鈥� 鈥� On the cross-border relationship between Canada and the U.S.
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鈥淒ude, I got Syria.鈥� 鈥� Obama鈥檚 response to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during what he described as one of their biggest disagreements as political leaders. Trudeau wanted to discuss ongoing timber agreements.
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鈥淭his is coming, and I have two daughters who in their lifetime will see these effects. I don鈥檛 have grandchildren yet, but for those of you who do, it will make life very difficult for them even if they are wealthy and can somehow exploit themselves temporarily.鈥� 鈥� On the impending consequences if country leaders do not take action to curb burning of fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions.
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鈥淚 was a little cocky when I was younger, but you know what? She liked it.鈥� 鈥� In response to how Michelle Obama describes her husband in her book 鈥楤ecoming.鈥�
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鈥淚f you are so woke, as they say, that you cannot listen to someone who, I guess, is unwoke, how are you supposed to wake them up?鈥� 鈥� On remaining open to debate, alternate ways of thinking and returning to the facts.
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鈥淚f you had to be born in any moment in human history and you didn鈥檛 know who you were going to be, male or female, what nationality, what race or religion 鈥� you鈥檇 have to choose now. Because the world has never been wealthier, better educated, healthier, less violent, more tolerant than it is today. That鈥檚 hard to believe because there are still many problems out there, but it indicates that the trajectory of human progress has been significant and extraordinary.鈥� 鈥� On youth today and growing up in the current state of society.
@ashwadhwani
ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca
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