• The heckling MPs were protesting President Reagan's disarmament policies.  Svend Robinson disagreed with the Star Wars initiative, which proposed to destroy missiles in space.  When Les Benjamin called President Reagan "mad," he was alluding to the president's disapproval of MAD - the Mutually Assured Destruction of nuclear weapons initiative. 

• MAD is a political concept rooted in the 1950s, when distrust of the Soviet Union was high.  Politicians stockpiled nuclear weapons without real fear of war.  They believed the Soviets would never press the button first knowing the other side would be able to retaliate. 

• During President Reagan's 25-hour visit to Canada, he and Prime Minister Brian Mulroney failed to settle two pressing political issues.  There were only four hours set aside to discuss the tabled issues of acid rain and Arctic sovereignty.  Even though the points remained unresolved, President Reagan made one concession.  He added two small sheets of notes to his parliamentary address.  In the addendum, he said he'd "consider the prime minister's proposal for an accord on acid rain." 

• Despite the political impasse, the two leaders seemed to have a good relationship.  On St. Patrick's Day two years earlier, Prime Minister Mulroney, President Reagan and wives Mila Mulroney and Nancy Reagan sang When Irish Eyes Are Smiling together on national television. 



• The Globe and Mail reported that 15 photo opportunities during the 1987 visit were "pseudo-events" to help improve the images of the two leaders.  News reports had recently scandalized President Reagan's CIA-funded Contras, while Prime Minister Mulroney's Cabinet ministers accused him of political conflicts of interest. 

• Watch the complete footage of Reagan's 1987 address to Canadian Parliament: Part 1 and Part 2.