Simon Reisman

Who was Simon Reisman?

Sol Simon Reisman, OC was a Canadian civil servant, and the country's chief negotiator for the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement.

Born in Montreal, Quebec, the son of Kolman and Manya Reisman, Reisman graduated from Baron Byng High School before receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and political science in 1941 and a Master of Arts degree in 1942 from McGill University. He was a veteran of the Second World War, having served in Italy, the Netherlands and Germany with the Royal Canadian Artillery. After the war, he studied at the London School of Economics.

In 1946, he entered into public service joining the Department of Labour. Reisman was a member of Canada's delegation to the inaugural session of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in the late 1940s. He made major contributions toward the drafting of the Canada-U.S. Auto Pact. Reisman rose to senior positions in the public service, including deputy minister in the Department of Finance and the Department of Industry before retiring in 1975. Following the election of Brian Mulroney, Reisman sent the new prime minister a memo advocating free trade negotiations with the United States.