Canada’s new Minister of Indigenous Services Seamus O’Regan came face-to-face with the cold hard truth of the Canadian climate when he attempted to take a sip of water at a press conference, only to realize it had iced over.

A perplexed expression crossed O’Regan’s face as he lifted the glass and declared that the water was frozen solid, provoking laughter from the audience.

The incident took place during a press conference in Ottawa, a slippery start to O’Regan’s appointment as the indigenous services minister.

Here's what happens when you have a cabinet shuffle press conference outside in Ottawa in the dead of Canadian winter. pic.twitter.com/fT9aCuFrM1 — CBC News: The National (@CBCTheNational) January 14, 2019

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s new appointee is already getting the cold shoulder from some of his constituents as well as other MP’s. Conservative MP Erin O’Toole called O’Regan’s appointment “quite a head scratcher,” adding that indigenous Canadians “will be concerned.”

Both Ministers Philpott & Lametti are solid performers and well regarded. The rest of the #cabinetshuffle is quite a head scratcher. I think both Indigenous Canadians & Veterans will be concerned. #cdnpoli — Erin O'Toole (@ErinOTooleMP) January 14, 2019

How the hell an indigenous minister not know the water is frozen to drink. Natives need to create a #ForeignMinister to deal with them. — Rezboots (@Rezboots) January 15, 2019

O’Regan’s less-than-warm welcome is in part due to controversial comments he has made, such as comparing his experience of leaving journalism to that of a soldier taking off his uniform for the final time.

Seamus O'Regan's first sit down with First Nation Leadership."One time on the set an intern brought me tap water instead of sparkling.....so I know EXACTLY what you all go through on your reserves when you don't have clean drinking water"#cdnpoli#cpc#lpc#ableg#ndp#ucp — Jay (@farmerjayp) January 14, 2019

Ottawa’s notoriously brutal winters can reach lows of -20F (-29C), keeping Canadians, including their politicians, on thin ice.

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