Attendees have just been given a five minute warning for things to get underway.

Image source, Reuters

Two men who became known worldwide as the 'Two Michaels' are both in the gallery for Biden address and were just given a standing ovation.

Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were imprisoned in China for more than 1,000 days on spying charges.

Their detention was widely viewed as retaliation for the 2018 arrest of Huawei senior executive Meng Wanzhou in Canada at the request of the US, who was seeking her extradition on fraud charges.

They were released in September 2021, the day before Meng returned to China following a deal with US prosecutors.

The Huawei case and their detention significantly strained ties between Canada and China.

Bloomberg reported that the two will also attend tonight's formal dinner with Biden and Trudeau.

Jessica Murphy
BBC News, Toronto

As we near the start of Biden's address to parliament we'll turn away from the fanfare for a bit, and focus on some of the important issues on the table for the two countries.

Migration is of course making big news this visit, with a new deal on Roxham Road expected to be formally announced later today.

Both leaders have made clear that a surge of asylum seekers at the US-Canada border is a major concern.

Unrest in Haiti is a top concern. Haiti's government and UN officials have called for an international force to help stabilise the Caribbean nation.

Biden is expected to ramp up pressure for Canada to take a leadership role on that file.

The two leaders see eye-to-eye on support for Ukraine, and will discuss continental defence and Arctic security.

The US and Canada also have deeply integrated economies, so trade will be discussed, including Biden's Buy American provisions.

Image source, Reuters

Nadine Yousif
Reporting from Ottawa

As we've mentioned before, Ottawa is usually a quiet city despite being the capital of Canada. So when a US president is in town, it's noticeable.

President Joe Biden has received a warm welcome so far. American flags have been hung outside Wellington Street - which runs through Canada’s parliament buildings - to greet him.

Nearby, a local bakery shop is selling commemorative cookies to mark his visit.

The “Joe Cookie”, as some people are calling it, is a shortbread cookie with a US and Canada flag on it. It has already been sold by the hundreds, said Nicolas Bonnet, whose father runs Le Moulin de Provence, a French-style bakery shop in Ottawa’s downtown.

“You can tell that around the city, people are in a bit of a frenzy that the president's in town,” Bonnet told the BBC.

His bakery is no stranger to US presidents. In 2009, former President Barack Obama made a seemingly impromptu stop to buy red sugar cookies in the shape of a maple leaf for his daughters.

Ever since then, that cookie has been known as the “Obama cookie”.

Bonnet isn’t holding his breath for a surprise Biden visit - the president’s schedule is packed after all.

But the bakery, he said, is excited nonetheless that another US president has come to Ottawa.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Getty Images

US president Joe Biden arrived to Ottawa, Canada’s capital city, late Thursday night.

His plane touched down at the MacDonald-Cartier International Airport, where he was greeted by Canada’s governor general Mary Simon.

The two held a bilateral meeting in a private room at the airport, after which Biden made his way to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s residence at the historic Rideau Cottage in downtown Ottawa.

There, the US president and First Lady Jill Biden met with Trudeau and his wife, Sophie.

On Friday morning, Biden began his day at the steps of Ottawa’s parliament building, where he was greeted with a red carpet flanked by US flags.

He then signed a guest book, per tradition, before he sat down for a bilateral meeting with Trudeau at the prime minister’s office.

That meeting was followed by another sit-down - this time with secretaries and ministers from the two countries.

The big moment will be US president Joe Biden’s address to Canadian members of parliament - a tradition that has been observed by past US presidents visiting their northern neighbour. You can stream Biden's speech live at the top of the page at 14:00 local time (18:00 GMT).

His address to parliament follows a morning of back-to-back meetings: a one-on-one with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and an extended meeting with ministers and secretaries from both countries.

Following his address, Biden and Trudeau will speak to reporters at a news conference across the street.

Later in the day, Biden will be hosted at a dinner held in his honour at Canada’s Aviation Museum.

It is expected that several hundred people will be in attendance, including diplomats, past and present ambassadors, as well as Indigenous leaders.

Image source, Getty Images

Nadine Yousif
Reporting from Ottawa

It’s hard to miss the heightened security this Friday when walking around downtown Ottawa.

The usually quiet core of Canada’s capital city is filled with a heavy police presence that is circling around Parliament Hill and surrounding buildings - a designated “hot zone”, one police officer told me.

It is a noticeable difference from any ordinary day in Ottawa, where visitors and locals alike often frequent the area to marvel at Canada’s parliament building or enjoy the scenery nearby.

But with US President Joe Biden in town, today is no ordinary day.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of President Joe Biden’s first official visit to Canada to meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Despite the close ties between the US and Canada, the two leaders have plenty to discuss.

There is an agenda packed with topics, according to statements released by their respective offices this month.

That includes continental defence and the shared North American Aerospace Defense Command (Norad), clean energy and critical minerals and the economy. And of course, a possible new deal on asylum seekers at the border.

Global issues are also on the list - from the war in Ukraine to instability in Haiti.

BBC reporters Nadine Yousif and Jessica Murphy will bring you the latest news as Biden prepares to address parliament in an hour.

Stay with us.