Obama hosts dinner for new Canada sensation named Justin

The nation that produced singer Justin Bieber now also claims the dashing Liberal leader of Canada's government, the boyish-looking, 44-year-old son of a former Canadian prime minister.

Tables were being set in the White House East Room, which will be transformed by the addition of rows of blooming orchids, hydrangeas and amaranth in shades of green and white meant to evoke the coming of spring, much like Trudeau's election in October has ushered in a new season in Canadian politics.

Professional sports were represented by the U.S. hockey and basketball commissioners, along with retired NBA player Grant Hill and his wife, Tamia, a Canadian singer.

The dessert course is cake made with toasted Texas pecans and New England maple syrup, along with a separate hand-crafted sugar sculpture inspired by the Rocky Mountains and bearing an assortment of petite pastries with American and Canadian influences.

Trudeau, who was accompanied to the U.S. by his wife, Sophie Gregoire, and their three young children, took office in November and carries one of the most famous names in Canadian political history.