Finding a more Calgary-friendly U.S. diplomat might be tough.

But the city's business community hopes the yet-to-be-named replacement for out going ambassador Paul Cellucci will maintain cozy relations with both the city and the province.

"I think whoever comes in will see the importance of Calgary and the Canadian energy sector," says Murray Sigler, president and CEO of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce. "Calgary has more dependence on U.S. trade than almost any other city in Canada."

Cellucci forged chummy relations with Calgary in his four years in Canada, in large part because the city is the home town of his son-in-law, National Hockey League player Craig Adams. Adams married Cellucci's daughter, Anne, in 2003.

Paul Cellucci

"Ambassador Cellucci had a lot of ties to this city ... so he had a good working relationship with the U.S. consul and that gave a strong link to our city," Sigler says.

Maintaining cordial relations with Calgary's neighbours to the south is important for the city's economic survival and Alberta's as a whole, the chamber president adds.

Canadian government statistics back that up: Alberta exported around $51 billion of resources and goods to the U.S. in 2003, a huge increase over 1999 exports that totalled $30 billion. In comparison, Alberta exports to other countries in 2003 tallied just $5.7 billion.

Sigler notes that the appointment of former Alberta energy minister Murray Smith as the province's spokesman in the U.S. capital and Frank McKenna, the former Liberal premier of New Brunswick, as Canada's ambassador to the U.S. bodes well for Alberta.

"I think they'll both represent us well down there."

In a speech during a recent swing through Calgary, Cellucci lauded the Canada-U.S. economic partnership, downplaying the rifts that have arisen in recent years.

He noted the economic ties that see Canada import 23 per cent of American merchandise exports, while Canada sends 86 per cent of its exports in goods below the 49th parallel. U.S. direct foreign investment in Canada exceeds $150 billion and Canadian direct foreign investment in the United States is more than $130 billion.

"Economically, we benefit from the largest bilateral relationship in the world," Cellucci said. "In 2003 we exchanged roughly $500 billion US in goods, services and investment income, or well over $1 billion US each day."

Cellucci touched on a number of U.S. policy issues in his luncheon speech - co-sponsored by the Calgary chamber and the fledgling Western Canadian chapter of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) - including the importance of defence and border security.

Sigler echoes the concerns about working with the Americans on these issues.

"Defence spending is an issue we want to take a closer look at with regards to our input in federal budget submissions," he says. "We think that it's ... a critical issue."

He adds it is difficult to separate security and trade issues, because the two things "say something about the confidence in each other as partners generally."

"We're close allies and it's going to do a lot to foster our trade relationships," which doesn't mean sacrificing Canadian independence on foreign policy issues, Sigler says.

Meanwhile, AmCham used the ambassador's Calgary farewell to help put itself on the map.

AmCham - not to be confused with the United States Chamber of Commerce, of which AmCham is a member - is found in 102 countries worldwide. The chamber's role is to help foster trade between businesses within and outside the U.S., as well as lobby on behalf of its members on policy issues in Washington, says Calgary chairman Jim Rowling.

Calgary was picked for AmCham's western base because of the large American population in the city - the U.S. consulate puts the number in the tens of thousands - and the vast number of publicly traded companies, in addition to its position as a trading partner with the U.S.

Rowling said the chapter will focus primarily on energy and agriculture issues.

AmCham opened its doors in Canada two years ago by establishing its first office in Toronto, and later added chapters in Halifax and Montreal. In March of last year it officially began operations in Calgary.

"We have no members yet, so it would be hard to say we have (attracted) a lot of interest," Rowling says. "I think that the concept there should be a lot of interest but we haven't really had a noteworthy event, and that's why (the Cellucci speech) was our official launch."

Sigler says the Calgary chamber has yet to decide how it plans to work with AmCham.

He notes that his organization already has a relationship with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce through its affiliation with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

"We really haven't defined a relationship with (AmCham). We'll be waiting to see if there is a niche for them here in Calgary, and see how they develop it."

AmCham's Rowling says the organization wants to work with other city business associations. He thinks there might be a misconception of why AmCham has come to Calgary.

"We're not here to take away (from other organizations), we're here to add a synergy of having this voice in the U.S. and of a sharper focus on those issues," he says.

(John Ludwick can be reached at ludwick@businessedge.ca)