OTTAWA — Mark Carney has ordered the entire Canadian negotiating delegation, along with their table, chairs, and a ceremonial carafe of maple syrup, to be airlifted into the middle of the burning Nevada desert, where they will remain until US President Donald Trump personally arrives to put out the flames.
«We are done with the old furniture,» said Chief Negotiator Henri Beauchamp, speaking through a heat-resistant respirator as ash fell around the newly installed bargaining surface. «The previous table was in Washington. It was too comfortable. This table is in a fire. If the President wants to discuss tariffs, he can come here, sit down, and first explain why his country is on fire.»
The delegation has reportedly brought enough bottled water for three days, but has refused to use any of it on the encroaching flames, stating that would be «a concession to the American position.» Firefighters on the scene have been ordered to reroute their hoses around the diplomatic perimeter, a move that has already slowed containment efforts by an estimated 14 percent.
«We have a clear list of demands,» Beauchamp added, gesturing to a whiteboard that was beginning to smoke. «First, the fire goes out. Second, the tariffs go away. Third, someone acknowledges that our syrup is superior. We are prepared to wait here until all three conditions are met, or until we are evacuated by force, whichever comes first.»
Trump responded on Truth Social, calling the move «a very Canadian and very foolish stunt» and suggesting the delegation «should have brought more maple syrup, because they will need something to sweeten the bitter taste of defeat.» The Canadian delegation has reportedly responded by ordering a second carafe.