Tuesday, 02 January 2024 12:17 GMT

Ontario Premier Demands Apology After US Ambassador Incident


(MENAFN) Ontario Premier Doug Ford demanded an apology on Wednesday following a profanity-filled outburst by US Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra during a distinguished gathering in Ottawa.

Ford described Hoekstra’s conduct before roughly 200 attendees at Monday’s annual Canadian American Business Council gala at the National Gallery of Canada as “unacceptable” and “unbecoming of an ambassador.”

The verbal explosion was reportedly provoked by Ontario’s anti-tariff advertisement, which aired over the weekend on American TV networks. Valued at CAN$75 million, the campaign amassed 11.4 billion impressions in the past week through earned media, including news coverage and social media exposure.

An ad impression refers to the number of times an advertisement is displayed to viewers, regardless of whether they engage with it.

Hoekstra’s anger was allegedly aimed at David Paterson, Ontario’s trade envoy in Washington, who was present at the gala.

According to reports, US President Donald Trump was displeased with the commercial and subsequently halted trade negotiations with Canada.

During the confrontation, Hoekstra allegedly “hurled insults” and “swore” at Paterson, who stayed composed throughout the episode, a news agency reported.

The Canadian American Business Council gala is a yearly occasion that attracts leading business figures and political officials.

Among the attendees were Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and Dominic LeBlanc, the minister overseeing Canada-US trade relations.

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