Augsburg – The arrival of the new Austrian ambassador to Canada was celebrated in remarkable style Saturday with a special visit to a Valley farm last weekend.

Austrian native Josef Hirnschall welcomed dozens of visitors to his farm on the Bonnechere River, which he described as one of the premier pioneer settlements in the area. It is located west of Eganville.

Visitors came together for an incredible full-course meal and a tour of his hundreds of acres of farmland to mark the occasion, enjoying not only an introduction to the newest diplomatic envoy but the variety of other animal life occupying his property as well.

The celebration was packed with members of the Austrian Embassy in Ottawa, including the new Ambassador Andreas Rendl and his wife, Eva, who were joined by dignitaries from Renfrew County such as Warden Peter Emon and Bonnechere Valley Mayor Jennifer Murphy.

It was also well attended by members of local municipalities, such as North Algona Wilberforce Mayor James Brose and Councillor Maria Robinson and BV Councillors John Epps and Merv Buckwald.

Upon arrival, Mr. Hirnschall treated his guests to a warm welcome, complete with appetizers, beverages and a healthy dose of camaraderie. He had even organized a catering delivery of over a hundred pieces of savoury schnitzel goodness, marking the special occasion with a perfectly apt traditional Austrian supper.

Ambassador Rendl took a moment after supper to thank the event attendees for the warm welcome in terms of sentiment and weather.

“It looks very similar to the place we live. Canada was our first choice, and we worked very hard to get it,” he remarked. “As your ambassador, I’m very much looking forward to talking to you.”

He said the main contrast between his hometown of Vienna and his new residence in Canada is that everything is significantly bigger. He explained how one can spend an entire day driving across a province here, while in Europe, you can cross several countries in just a few hours.

The dessert baked by Mr. Hirnschall’s helper, Tony Contant, was another showstopper. The old-fashioned tomato soup spice cake, a recipe he brought back from Austria himself, had proved to be a hit with the locals and visitors.

Mr. Rendl has been involved in foreign affairs for over three decades, starting with the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and working his way up to the embassy in 2010. He had previously served as the Ambassador of Austria to Cuba, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia and Ecuador but has most recently taken up the mantle of the outgoing Ambassador to Canada, Syliva Meier-Kajbic.