The U.S. ambassador to Canada delivered an expletive-laced tirade at Ontario's trade representative at an event in Ottawa on Monday, multiple witnesses tell CBC News.

Word spread quickly through some of the most powerful circles in Ottawa and Washington after the encounter, which happened during the Canadian American Business Council’s state of the relationship event at the National Gallery of Canada.

Typically, the high-profile gathering is used to network and celebrate the Canada-U.S. relationship. It draws a mix of cabinet ministers, diplomats and business leaders. Monday night's event drew Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and Dominic LeBlanc, the minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade.

Witnesses say they saw U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra launch into an expletive-laden tir

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