How The Grinch Stole Canada Day ... in Washington, DC.

As this nation's capital battens down the hatches in benign preparation for the swarm of Maple Leaf-flag draped revelers that will fill the streets of Ottawa this Friday, Canadians living and working south of the border have found themselves abruptly, unexpectedly -- and, as far as anyone can tell, unprecedentedly -- uninvited to what was, until this year, one of the most keenly anticipated events on the local expat social calendar -- the annual July 1st festivities at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC.  

Up until this year, the Embassy's Canada Day bash has been a come-one-come-all affair open to any and all DC-area Canadians and expats looking to celebrate Canada's birthday with like-minded compatriots. But according to a note sent out to hopeful celebrants earlier this week, it was "budget cutbacks across the Government of Canada ... led to the downscaling" of what is now being described as "the Canada Day networking event."

As a result, "only a limited number of Embassy contacts could be invited," although the email notes they were able to offer "at least 100 additional guests a place at the event," thanks to a ticket lottery open to subscribers of Connect2Canada, a DFAIT-run listserv for Canadians in the US. 

(Note: It's not clear what "additional" means, in this context -- nor, for that matter, how many guests, or, in this case, "networkers" -- had been invited before the event was opened up to those who registered for the draw.)

The email concludes by encouraging unsuccessful lotto entrants to visit the CanadaDayAcrossAmerica website to "learn more about celebrations in your area, connect with other friends of Canada in your community, or how to hold a Canada Day celebration of your own."

Not surprisingly, the suggestion that they make alternate plans to celebrate their nation's birthday did little to mollify Canadians who were now officially -- and somewhat unprecedentedly -- uninvited to the Embassy event, as evidenced by the flood of email I received in response to a query posted to an expat discussion group.

"It has always been a great time, and a great place to connect with other Canadians," wrote Christopher Bannon, who says this will be the first time in six years that he won't be at the Embassy for Canada Day.

"My youngest son got up and sang Oh! Canada with the former ambassador a couple of years ago." As far as he knows, he has always been on the event list -- he was invited to a hockey-watching party during the Vancouver Olympics, as well as Game 7 of this year's Stanley Cup Final, but even so, he apparently didn't make the cut for this year's Canada Day. "I'm really sad that they have not invited Canadians this year."

Erinn Wattie, who has been living in Washington since 2009, has fond memories of last year's celebrations, which she attended "a few international friends from the World Bank" where she works, in tow. "They were all really impressed by the welcome offered -- hot dogs and hamburgers, beer and pop, a general jovial atmosphere!"

Jason Taylor, meanwhile, was moved to fire off an open letter to Ambassador Gary Doer -- cc'd to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Conservative MP Patrick Brown -- in which he upbraids the Embassy for choosing to limit the guest list rather than find other ways to cut costs.

"It seems that if there is one day a year to offer outreach to Canadians it would be July 1. The budgetary reasoning that I have been given does not ring true. Rather than limit the number of people who could attend it would make more sense to not provide alcohol and/or food."

The letter also not so subtly pointed out the potentially politically undesirable optics of Ambassador Doer rolling out the red-and-white carpet for A-list guests, some of whom may not even actually be Canadian, while closing the gates to his fellow countrymen:

"I am sure the Embassy will be teeming with American politicians and businessmen 'celebrating' Canada Day while Canadians stand outside looking in. That doesn't sound very Canadian to me."

Former Oshawa resident Steve Fenton noted that this would have been his first opportunity to experience Canada Day at the Embassy. "I was a bit dismayed to hear that they were restricting people this year, especially especially after hearing about the events being done in London, UK and LA.  Why does DC have to get the short end of the stick?"

A quick googling confirms that, despite the alleged budget cutbacks that ostensibly put a damper on Washington, DC-based festivities, the Canadian High Commission in London, it seems, will carry on its annual tradition of taking over Trafalgar Square for an all-day celebration billed as the largest of its kind outside Canada.

As for Los Angeles, while there are currently no plans for a Canada Day event at the consulate itself, members of Canadians Abroad are welcome to hobnob with "invited guests, celebrities and media" at a rooftop gala on Hollywood Boulevard -- an event that, at least in past years, has been subsidized and co-hosted by the consulate, according to past attendees. 

Fenton is now considering throwing a counter-celebration in a nearby park, "in full view of the people who decided to have us not attend their party." If it goes forward, he promises, it will be an "actual party, not some ridiculous 5-minute protest for the benefit of the cameras as you sometimes see in DC" -- and "there would undoubtedly be humour involved."