From June 7 to 9, Quebec will host two delegations from Florida in Montreal, Sherbrooke, and Quebec City.
The first delegation is an economic delegation. It consists of Florida Secretary of Commerce Alex Kelly and about 20 people from the business community, the academic community, and Florida’s economic development leaders.
The second delegation is a political one and consists of four Florida House representatives (plus one aide to a representative) and one senator. In total, three Republican and two Democratic lawmakers are in attendance. Representative Chip Lamarca (R-100th District), who introduced the historic resolution between Quebec and Florida last March, is present.
The political delegation is participating in a program of meetings with senior political and economic leaders, who will be hosted not only at the 2026 Montreal Conference but also at the National Assembly in Quebec City. The economic delegation is also attending the 2026 Montreal Conference and will travel to Sherbrooke to visit the innovation center and the quantum ecosystem.
Objectives
Ms. Catherine Cano, Quebec’s Delegate in Miami, explains to Le Soleil de la Floride: “The primary goal of the economic delegation is to consolidate our expertise in priority sectors for both Florida and Quebec, as a federated province, including aerospace, energy, and quantum technology, which are at the heart of our mutual interests.” It should be noted that Quebec is recognized as the world’s third-largest aerospace hub, right behind Seattle and Toulouse, and that it is a true global leader in quantum technology—a field in which Florida has significant ambitions for innovation, particularly in the Boca Raton and West Palm Beach corridor in the state’s southeast.
“We will share our knowledge, expertise, and research to see how we can develop partnerships and collaborations in these three sectors,” explains Ms. Cano. She adds that Quebec is close to Florida, that it is reliable, and that it has been doing business with Florida for decades—a relationship that is so important to both!
“Yes, there is global uncertainty. Global geopolitics has changed, and so has the way things are done. The United States is undergoing a transformation. Obviously, we’re in the midst of revising international trade agreements between Canada, the United States, and Mexico. But the fact that Florida is coming to Quebec and has moved up its trip by a year means that this is precisely the right time,” says the delegate. “Because on the ground, businesspeople want to keep doing business, and we know it works because there’s $3.2 billion in trade between Florida and Quebec.” Ms. Cano adds what she observes on the ground when speaking with Florida businesses: “They have enormous respect for Quebec and see it as a business-oriented province. So we must keep moving forward and not backtrack.” It is a relationship built on trust above all, and Florida is extremely ambitious, just like Quebec. So the two are offering each other mutual solutions in various fields and genuinely wish to preserve these opportunities despite the current context.
Live Conversation
This Monday, June 8, during the Montreal 2026 Conference, Mr. Alex Kelly, Florida Secretary of Commerce, will be a guest at the Head Table and will speak on stage at 5:00 PM with Ms. Catherine Cano, Quebec Delegate in Miami. The conversation will focus on how U.S. states and Canadian provinces (federal states) succeed and on the importance of maintaining close ties and collaborating on both commercial and political fronts. “Provinces have powers, just like states,” notes Ms. Cano. “So, there are many things that can be decided on a state-to-state basis, and that is the discussion we will have—about the challenges but also the opportunities, and why it is important for Florida and Quebec to further strengthen this partnership, not only to maintain and consolidate it, but to take it further.”
To watch the conversation live: https://www.youtube.com/live/Eu–lT_waoo?si=x9Q0dcHh7jKz9Nrg
This article is translated by DeepL.
