Snowmobiling Justin Trudeau meets and greets on Fogo Island trail
'Typical Newfoundlander, falling into the parade,' says Gus Loder of surprise meeting
A man out snowmobiling Easter weekend on Fogo Island had an unexpected surprise along the trail: an encounter with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
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Gus Loder, of Badger, said he and a friend were out enjoying the day when their curiosity was piqued when a line of security detail vehicles and a contingent of snowmobiles zoomed past them.
Typical Newfoundlander, falling into the parade kind of thing.- Gus Loder
"We kinda fell in with the line of Ski-Doos, with the prime minister I guess. Typical Newfoundlander, falling into the parade kind of thing," laughed Loder.
As the snowmobiles slowed to a stop, Loder was starstruck to see Trudeau, his wife Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau and the couple's three children.
"I took my helmet off, and took my gloves off, and just kinda stared. Googly eyed I guess," said Loder.
"You're like 50 feet away from the prime minister, and there's nobody pushing you away."
'I'll always remember'
Loder kept his distance as Trudeau unloaded his children, and afterwards cautiously approached.
"We heard it was like a family vacation and that kinda stuff, so like most Newfoundlanders [we] didn't want to be imposing," said Loder.
"As I was walking up to him, he hauled his glove off and I introduced myself and he shook my hand, and I welcomed him to Newfoundland."
I was surprised, he's very easy going.- Gus Loder
Loder said talking to Trudeau was just the same as meeting up with anyone on a snowmobile trail.
"I was surprised, he's very easy going, very easy to talk to."
Trudeau said no problem when asked to get a photo taken afterwards, and now Loder has a memento of the most famous person he's ever met.
"It's one for the books," said Loder, who added the pictures he uploaded to Facebook have been shared and liked widely.
"It's one of those [encounters] that I'll always remember, and I always got the pictures to prove it too."
With files from Central Morning