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August 16, 2005
Hans Island, take 2
The BBC has this report on the escalating Danish/Canadian row over Hans Island. Much web space has been devoted to this titanic struggle between the two great maritime nations over the last month (in fact, back to last year), including a previous post of mine. Canadian e-commerce entrepreneur, author and patriot Rick Broadhead has a (slightly biased) Hans Island information page. Apparently, Rick took out a Google ad in favour of the Canadian claim ("Hans Island is Canadian", with a big maple leaf) after having seen one supporting the Danish claim ("Does Hans sound Canadian? Danish name, Danish island.", with a link to the Danish foreign ministry). Others are cashing in on the doubtless literally dozens of interested page views this dispute is generating from Skagen to Møns Klimt, from Vancouver to St Johns. For example, do a Google search for "Hans Island" right now and you'll get a cheeky sponsored link for a Canadian ergonomic chair company with the tagline "Negotiate? What for? Everyone knows it belongs to Canada". The linked page adds further insult with a "Special discount given to all Canadians. Danish customers pay full retail." I reminded them that everbody knows that the Danes are unlikely to buy Canadian ergonomic furniture, being one of the few areas where Denmark can definitely blow the Canadians out of the water, so to speak. That and lamps.
Posted by daen at August 16, 2005 02:43 AM