Ogdensburg Agreement The Ogdensburg Agreement is an agreement signed on August 17 , 1940 , between Prime Minister Mackenzie King of Canada and United States President Franklin Roosevelt in Heuvelton near Ogdensburg , New York . It outlined a permanent plan for mutual defense overseas between the United States and Canada . History and Rationale . Although Canada and the United States had long been economic partners , Canada had always considered Great Britain as its primary military partner . While Canada had been granted independence in its foreign policy from Britain in 1931 , Canada ' s membership in the Commonwealth of Nations , the strength of the British Empire , and the historic and cultural ties between them made a military alliance with the United States seem unnecessary . Most Canadians believed that Britain could provide for all of Canada ' s defense needs . Canada had declared war on Nazi Germany shortly after the Second World War began in early September 1939 but the United States remained neutral . By mid - 1940 , the situation in Europe had grown dire ; Germany ' s military successes had led to the occupation of most of Europe , and most importantly , France , which surrendered in June 1940 . With Germany in control or allied with nearly all of continental Europe , it began to develop plans for an invasion of the British Isles . Germany ' s seemingly unstoppable military , its submarine campaign against British merchant shipping , and its neutrality pact with the Soviet Union , convinced many , including American President Franklin Roosevelt , that Britain itself would soon be invaded or forced to surrender . By July 1940 , Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King , along with a growing number of Canadians , was becoming increasingly concerned that Britain would fall and that Canada , with its small population and abundant natural resources , would become Germany ' s next target . In addition to transferring its gold reserves to Canada at the beginning of the war , the British government had also prepared a contingency plan ( which was largely kept secret to avoid hurting morale ) to evacuate the Royal family , the government and as many critical military and scientific personnel to Canada as possible if the British Isles fell to Germany . These factors only increased concerns that Germany would eventually target Canada for its next conquest . Both Canada and the United States recognized this threat . Subsequently , it was the United States that initiated preliminary military discussions that became formative in July 1940 . On August 18 , Roosevelt and King met in the border town of Ogdensburg , New York . Roosevelt outlined his plan to create a joint board to oversee the defence of both nations , not just for the duration of the current crisis , but as a permanent body . King immediately agreed , and the Permanent Joint Board on Defence was created . Most Canadians supported this agreement , which was soon known as the Ogdensburg Agreement , as they deemed it necessary not only for security purposes but also to improve relations with the United States ( it was also hoped that the agreement would help pull the United States into the war ) . However , some Canadians , most notably former Conservative prime minister Arthur Meighen were furious - they argued that by signing this agreement , Canada was not only abandoning Britain but was effectively placing itself under the control of the United States . British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was also angry , stating that " all these transactions will be judged [ at the end of the war ] in a mood different to that prevailing while the issue still hangs in the balance . " King ' s government recognized these concerns ; Canadian negotiators resolutely refused to give the United States control of Canada ' s forces , and rejected proposals to integrate much of the country ' s defences into Washington ' s Northeast and Northwest Defence Commands . King ' s approach satisfied most Canadians - although co - operation with the United States was essential , it did not mean abandoning Canada ' s national interests . Since World War II . The agreement inaugurated closer Canadian - American military co - operation and established the Permanent Joint Board of Defence , which remains as the senior advisory body on continental security and which is composed of two national sections made up of diplomatic and military representatives . For seven decades its meetings have served as a window on Canada - US defence relations . Canadian - American military cooperation was further enhanced by the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO ) in 1949 but the Board continued to serve in an important capacity for bilateral military relations and coordination . Initially , it was argued that Ogdensburg Agreement involved Canada abandoning Britain in favour of the United States on matters of defense . However , the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO ) in 1949 ( which linked Canada and the United States into a collective security agreement with Britain and Western Europe ) helped to alleviate these concerns . The Board has examined virtually every important joint defence measure undertaken since the end of World War II , including construction of the Distant Early Warning Line of radars , the creation of the North American Aerospace Defense Command ( NORAD ) in 1958 , the bi - national operation of the underwater acoustic surveillance system and high - frequency direction finding network , and the decision to proceed with the North American Air Defence Modernization program in 1985 .