The Canadian Embassy in Washington has acknowledged it displayed large friendship banners mistakenly asserting sovereignty over Greenland, says Blacklock's Reporter. According to a spokesperson from the Department of Foreign Affairs, the banners remained on display for more than a week before the error was noticed."The banner was up for eight days," stated Pierre Cuguen, spokesperson for the department. "The banner was removed, corrected and re-hung."Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly refrained from commenting on the matter. However, in previous statements, Joly emphasized Canada's stance on not claiming sovereignty over Greenland."We want to make sure we abide by the international rules-based order," testified Minister Joly at the Commons foreign affairs committee last May 4. "That’s exactly what we did with Denmark and Greenland."Highlighting the significance of Canada's relationship with Denmark and Greenland, Joly testified at a hearing on February 7 following the appointment of ex-Addictions Minister Carolyn Bennett as ambassador, stating, "We know the relationship with the Inuit is a very important issue in Greenland."Kirsten Hillman, Canada’s ambassador to Washington, declined to comment on the issue. The department did not disclose the cost of the banners or how many managers approved the purchase without recognizing the map error.Greenland, with a population of 58,000, has been part of the Kingdom of Denmark for 200 years. Despite its significant size, Greenland was erroneously included as part of Canada in the large friendship banners displayed with the slogan: "Not just neighbours: Friends, partners, allies."The territory, spanning 2.2 million square kilometers, approximately the size of Saudi Arabia, boasts known deposits of coal, gold and potential oil and gas resources, according to the CIA World Factbook. While natural hazards include continuous permafrost, Greenland is devoid of volcanoes or earthquakes.The Canadian Embassy declined to disclose the name of the contractor responsible for supplying the Greenland banners. Previous records indicate that embassy staff had relied on US vendors for promotional materials. In 2016, the embassy had engaged a Pennsylvania-based manufacturer for life-sized cardboard cutouts of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, priced at $148 each for public display, according to Access To Information records.Internal emails revealed the enthusiasm among diplomats for promotional activities. "I one hundred percent support this idea," exclaimed one staffer. "I think people will get a kick out of it and it’ll work really well with our Snapchat filter!""We’re talking some serious selfie action," concurred an Embassy manager. "I WANT ONE FOR OUR CANADA DAY EVENT!!!" (original emphasis).
The Canadian Embassy in Washington has acknowledged it displayed large friendship banners mistakenly asserting sovereignty over Greenland, says Blacklock's Reporter. According to a spokesperson from the Department of Foreign Affairs, the banners remained on display for more than a week before the error was noticed."The banner was up for eight days," stated Pierre Cuguen, spokesperson for the department. "The banner was removed, corrected and re-hung."Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly refrained from commenting on the matter. However, in previous statements, Joly emphasized Canada's stance on not claiming sovereignty over Greenland."We want to make sure we abide by the international rules-based order," testified Minister Joly at the Commons foreign affairs committee last May 4. "That’s exactly what we did with Denmark and Greenland."Highlighting the significance of Canada's relationship with Denmark and Greenland, Joly testified at a hearing on February 7 following the appointment of ex-Addictions Minister Carolyn Bennett as ambassador, stating, "We know the relationship with the Inuit is a very important issue in Greenland."Kirsten Hillman, Canada’s ambassador to Washington, declined to comment on the issue. The department did not disclose the cost of the banners or how many managers approved the purchase without recognizing the map error.Greenland, with a population of 58,000, has been part of the Kingdom of Denmark for 200 years. Despite its significant size, Greenland was erroneously included as part of Canada in the large friendship banners displayed with the slogan: "Not just neighbours: Friends, partners, allies."The territory, spanning 2.2 million square kilometers, approximately the size of Saudi Arabia, boasts known deposits of coal, gold and potential oil and gas resources, according to the CIA World Factbook. While natural hazards include continuous permafrost, Greenland is devoid of volcanoes or earthquakes.The Canadian Embassy declined to disclose the name of the contractor responsible for supplying the Greenland banners. Previous records indicate that embassy staff had relied on US vendors for promotional materials. In 2016, the embassy had engaged a Pennsylvania-based manufacturer for life-sized cardboard cutouts of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, priced at $148 each for public display, according to Access To Information records.Internal emails revealed the enthusiasm among diplomats for promotional activities. "I one hundred percent support this idea," exclaimed one staffer. "I think people will get a kick out of it and it’ll work really well with our Snapchat filter!""We’re talking some serious selfie action," concurred an Embassy manager. "I WANT ONE FOR OUR CANADA DAY EVENT!!!" (original emphasis).
