Two days before Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recent visit to Berlin, Canada put on a little show at the German Foreign Ministry.
This country, the Group of Seven president this year, was one of three that did so at the Auswärtiges Amt’s open house. Walking up the red carpet and through the marbled halls, one could see little Maple Leaf flags sticking out of backpacks and waved by children. Bully, the polar bear mascot for the Eisbären Berlin hockey team, also made an appearance.
But there were few other offerings. Canada gave out a singular maple syrup candy for completing a bingo quiz with questions such as “What is the name of the Prime Minister of Canada?” (One could keep the faux-wooden pen, though.)
