HALIFAX, Nova Scotia – President Bush delivered a long-awaited thank you Wednesday to the Canadian people for taking in tens of thousands of Americans who were stranded when their flights were diverted after Sept. 11, 2001, and he challenged the Canadian government to help more in Iraq and the war on terror.

In fact, the president’s address to a small crowd in a renovated waterfront warehouse here appeared to be two speeches: one a message of genuine appreciation for Canadians’ help to the United States at a dire time, but the second an outline of his global vision and a testament to his desire to heal fractured relationships with foreign allies who consider him a stubborn unilateralist.

The first part was expressed simply.

“How does a person say thank you to a nation?” Bush asked the audience of citizens, federal and local officials. “Well, that’s something a president can do. And so let me say directly to the Canadian people, and to all of you here today who welcomed Americans, thank you for your kindness to America in an hour of need.”

The second expanded on broader themes.

Bush said his next presidential term will give him an opportunity to “reach out to our friends” and “foster a wide international consensus” on three great goals: spreading freedom abroad, improving international cooperation in the war on terror and expanding democracy in the Middle East.

“The first great commitment is to defend our security and spread freedom by building effective multinational and multilateral institutions and supporting multilateral action,” the president said.

Yet despite that call, Bush took shots at the United Nations, repeating complaints he made during the debate over whether to support a U.S.-led military action against Iraq.

“The objective of the U.N. and other institutions must be collective security, not endless debate,” Bush said. “For the sake of peace, when those bodies promise serious consequences, serious consequences must follow.”

Canada joined coalition forces in the war in Afghanistan but opposed the Iraq war. Still, Bush urged Canada to step up efforts in postwar Iraq and to play a greater role in combating global terrorism.

“Sometimes, even the closest of friends disagree,” Bush said. “And two years ago, we disagreed about the best course of action in Iraq. Yet, as your prime minister made clear in Washington earlier this year, there is no disagreement at all with what has to be done going forward.”

He thanked Canada for recently forgiving $450 million in Iraqi debt, but stressed, “There’s more work to be done together.”

He urged Canada to be more proactive and “take the fight” to terrorists. For those who disagree, Bush quoted former Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King, who sent his country into World War II even though it hadn’t been attacked.

“We cannot defend our country and save our homes and families by waiting for the enemy to attack us. To remain on the defensive is the surest way to bring the war to Canada,” King said then, according to Bush, who added: “Mackenzie King was right then, and we must remember the wisdom of his words today.”

The Canadian crowd clapped politely at best, and sometimes not at all, for lines that usually win loud applause at home.

“The silence speaks,” said Dwayne A. Provo, a Halifax resident. “There are people in this room, like in your country, who are opposed to the Iraq war. However, in rebuilding Iraq, we are in the same ballpark.”

Bush acknowledged that it’s sometimes hard being America’s next-door neighbor.

“I realize, and many Americans realize, that it’s not always easy to sleep next to the elephant. Sometimes, our laws and actions affect Canada every bit as they affect us, and we need to remember that,” he said. “And when frustrations are vented, we must not take it personally. As a member of Canada’s parliament said in the 1960s, “The United States is our friend, whether we like it or not.”

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