Rather than attend the lavish affair, many Canadian officials and the business elite decided not to attend this year's event, mainly over ongoing trade tensions.and other disputes with their American neighbors.
The video above is from last year, when over 3000 attended.
Source: CBC
As the normally warm Canada-U.S. relationship continues to cool amid the ongoing trade standoff, this year's Fourth of July party at the new American ambassador's official residence in Ottawa will be a smaller, more "traditional" affair, according to a former U.S. embassy staffer.
The annual party, long a highlight of Ottawa's summertime social circuit, coincides with American Independence Day, a national holiday south of border.
However this year's party — the first thrown by Ambassador Kelly Knight Craft — has already generated controversy when some invitees, including Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson, announced they'd boycott the event over the U.S. tariffs on Canadian exports such as steel an aluminum.
"I've politely declined [the invitation] because I'm not happy with the direction of the American government and their constant attacks on our country," Watson said last week.
Under Craft's Obama-era predecessor, Bruce Heyman, the guest list to the annual event grew to more than 4,000 people. This year the number of invitees has shrunk to an estimated 1,000 people.
