Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hugged a First Nations man for 37-minutes straight in near silence at a town hall in Sudbury, Ont., on Thursday evening.
“Shhh,” Trudeau told Brad Nootchtai, 43, from the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek First Nation.
“We’re reconciling…now, here.”
Witnesses said the 37-minute hug was triggered by a question from Nootchai about housing and water issues in Ontario First Nations communities.
“Whenever Brad tried to ask the question again or even pull away, Trudeau just shushed him and hugged him harder,” said Mia Dokis, from the nearby Wahnapitae First Nation.
“I guess Trudeau is like a Boa constrictor, the more you fight, the harder he hugs you.”
The event, one of several being held across the country this year, is billed as an opportunity for Trudeau to get outside the Ottawa ‘bubble.’