OTTAWA, Canada, Nov. 30 -- Even before President Bush arrived in the Canadian capital for meetings with Prime Minister Paul Martin, all signs were that the session would be a bust.
The White House press secretary, aboard Air Force One from Washington, said there likely would not be any concrete resolution to trade disputes over lumber and beef. Removing a U.S. ban on Canadian meat that was instituted because of mad cow disease is the top priority here, but the most Canadians can hope for is that Bush would take a bite of Alberta beef when it is placed in front of him at dinner tonight.
 
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Anti-Bush demonstrations, meanwhile, were sparse. Before Bush's arrival protesters near the parliament buildings numbered in the dozens -- easily overwhelmed by journalists. By the time Bush arrived, the number reached a few thousand, but still well below expectations. A few held signs musing "Is God Really an American?" and comparing Bush's policies to Nazism. Another sign, however, said "Please Leave." But the numerous barricades set up by the Canadian authorities proved unnecessary.
Just outside the airport, in fact, a few pro-American supporters were on hand to greet the presidential motorcade, some with U.S. flags and one with a sign saying, "Canada + USA = Family."
Aboard Air Force One, press secretary Scott McClellan quarreled with the notion that Canadians do not like the U.S. president.
To reduce Ugly American incidents, the Office of the Chief of Protocol on Air Force One provided "Protocol Essentials" to passengers. The pointers reminded Americans that Canadians enjoy firm handshakes for people they meet and customary hellos upon greeting, although the French speakers go with "Bonjour." Diners can rest elbows on the table after meals, the protocol office declared. Also, the Canadian expression "eh" -- pronounced "AY" -- means "you know?" or "isn't it?" but is "used mostly in rural areas."
In Quebec, the protocol tips advised, don't give thumbs-down gesture, as it is "considered offensive." This information came in use when U.S. reporters who might not otherwise have understood the significance of the thumbs-down gesture spied a man who presented a downward pointing thumb as Bush's motorcade passed.
With so little prospective news, the White House press corps -- which arrived here a full six hours before the scheduled presidential news conference, spent the morning eating scones and muffins in a conference center. A few wandered out in a quest for the most desirable Canadian souvenir: flu shots.
A 10 minute walk from Parliament Hill brought journalists to the Appletree Medical Centre, where cheerful Canadian health workers accepted 20 Canadian dollars for a flu vaccine -- plentiful here despite the severe shortage south of the border. The dose: Canadian firm ID Biomedical's Fluviral, a vaccine not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States.
