President Barack Obama announced yesterday that he and the Department of State have decided to reject the proposed construction of the long-debated Keystone Pipeline.

Unreported by many U.S. media is the fact that the announcement came only hours after Justin Trudeau was sworn in as Canada’s new prime minister.

It is not coincidental that Mr. Obama waited until the change of Canada’s government to announce his opposition to the Keystone Pipeline.

Prime Minister Trudeau, of Canada’s Liberal Party, is more ideologically compatible with Mr. Obama on climate change and other environmental matters.

Although there may be some disappointment in Ottawa by the announcement out of Washington, the reaction north of the border will be much less shrill than the inevitable chilly reaction from the conservative administration of former Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

It took the Obama administration far too long to reach this official position. But the timing for the White House made sense as it awaited results of last week’s vote north of the border.

President Obama in his Keystone news conference acknowledged that ties between Canada and the United States will survive any rift over the Keystone Pipeline decision.

Regardless of how you view the Keystone Pipeline controversy, now that the political winds have subsided over the issue, relations will be warmer this winter between the White House and 24 Sussex Dr, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.