Sol Simon Reisman (19 June 1919 – 9 March 2008) was a Canadian civil servant, and the country's chief negotiator for the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement.

Biography

Born in

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

, the son of Kolman and Manya Reisman, Reisman graduated from

Baron Byng High School Baron Byng High School was an English language, English-language State school, public high school on Saint Urbain Street in Montreal, Quebec, opened by Governor General of Canada Julian Byng, 1st Viscount Byng of Vimy in 1921. The school was atte ...

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 McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...

. He was a veteran of the Second World War, having served in Italy, the Netherlands and Germany with the

Royal Canadian Artillery The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery () is the artillery personnel branch of the Canadian Army. History Many of the units and batteries of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery are older than the Dominion of Canada itself. The first arti ...

. After the war, he studied at the

London School of Economics The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), established in 1895, is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. The school specialises in the social sciences. Founded ...

. In 1946, he entered 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 The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is a legal agreement between many countries, whose overall purpose was to promote international trade by reducing or eliminating trade barriers such as tariffs or quotas. According to its p ...

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 Deputy minister is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. A deputy minister is positioned in some way "under" a minister, who is a full member of Cabinet, in charge of a particular sta ...

in the Department of Finance and the Department of Industry before retiring in 1975. Following the election of

Brian Mulroney Martin Brian Mulroney (March 20, 1939 – February 29, 2024) was a Canadian lawyer, businessman, and politician who served as the 18th prime minister of Canada from 1984 to 1993. Born in the eastern Quebec city of Baie-Comeau, Mulroney studi ...

, Reisman sent the new prime minister a memo advocating

free trade Free trade is a trade policy that does not restrict imports or exports. In government, free trade is predominantly advocated by political parties that hold Economic liberalism, economically liberal positions, while economic nationalist politica ...

negotiations with the United States. Mulroney accepted Reisman's plan and, in 1985, tapped him to lead Canada's trade negotiations with the United States. Between 1991 and 2000, Reisman served as the Chairman of the Board of Ranger Oil Limited. Reisman was made an Officer of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...

in 1978 and received the Outstanding Public Service Award in 1974. He was married to Constance Carin for 65 years. They had three children, Joe, Anna, and Harriet, and nine grandchildren. He is uncle to Heather Reisman of

Indigo Books InterGlobe Aviation Limited (d/b/a IndiGo), is an Indian airline headquartered in Gurgaon, Haryana, India. It is the largest airline in India by passengers carried and fleet size, with a 64.1% domestic market share as of April 2025. It is t ...

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

. He died at

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

on March 9, 2008, at the age of 88.

References

1919 births 2008 deaths 20th-century Canadian civil servants Canadian Jews McGill University alumni People from Montreal Officers of the Order of Canada Anglophone Quebec people {{Canada-gov-bio-stub