Barack Obama Does The Wave In Ottawa

They came out in the early morning hours, some standing in the freezing cold and snow before dawn, all to get a glimpse of one man. And despite heavy security and a tight schedule planned to the minute, U.S. President Barack Obama didn’t disappoint a crowd of more than a thousand people in Ottawa Thursday morning.

The Commander-in-Chief took a moment to wave to the throng, who cheered and chanted “Yes We Can” when he acknowledged their presence. He then disappeared inside Parliament Hill for a meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Obama arrived at 10:30am, as Air Force One touched down in the nation’s capital for his first official foreign visit since taking the oath of office in January.

While the president was the main attraction, there was no way to ignore the other obvious presence – the security. The $2 million lockdown of the area has been described as the most extensive in Ottawa history.

Barricades remained up everywhere and bulletproof glass was evident around the hall where the president and the P.M. were meeting. Snipers dotted rooftops and police carefully watched the crowd for any signs of trouble.

One came just before Obama arrived. RCMP officers wrestled a man to the ground after he apparently tried to jump one of the barriers. He was arrested and hustled away for questioning.

The sheer size of the police presence and the bad weather – more than 10 centimetres of snow – kept many away. But some who did arrive were from the GTA.

Vahid Saadati of Brampton came bearing the Guinness Book of World Records-verified largest needlepoint in history. The five million stitch work reads “Welcome” in 103 languages and took 650 volunteers two years to complete.

He claims it represents the “fabric” of Canada.

For Toronto’s Clary Fraser, it was a far more emotional moment. He was in Birmingham, Alabama during the civil rights strife in 1963 when a bomb was detonated to try and harm the freedom fighters.

Glimpsing the first black president in American history has left him filled with a mixture of pride and emotion. “No one, no one in the world would have dreamed, could suggest that there would one day be a black president of the United States,” he marvels. “Obama don’t look at colour. There is no black or white, no red or yellow. We’re all one.”

The six-hour blitz began with a greeting at the airport from Governor General Michaelle Jean, followed by a motorcade ride into the heart of the city.

The President got into the limo known as “The Beast,” a giant modified Cadillac made with armour and bulletproof glass.

Harper and Obama discussed energy, the environment, Afghanistan and most significantly of all, improving the economy in a time of a huge downturn.

At one point, Obama was led to a podium to sign the visitors’ guestbook. “Anyone mention that I’m a southpaw and it always looks funny on TV?” he asked as the cameras rolled.

After the pair got through, the U.S. leader held a four questions-only press conference, with two queries coming from Canadian reporters and the final pair from their American counterparts. He then chatted briefly with Liberal boss Michael Igantieff, before getting  back onboard Air Force One and heading home, his much hyped first trip over and his mission hopefully accomplished.

View a constantly updated photo gallery of the visit

Read the Obama visit blog from Ottawa

Photo credit: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images