An unprecedented event in the history of Canada’s relationship with the United States took place at 7 a.m. Wednesday at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Historic events aren’t unusual for the 100-year-old hotel, which has been the site of numerous inaugural balls. This one was a bit less flashy, though, as Canada’s 13 premiers stood together in the hotel’s lobby taking questions from reporters before attending meetings with U.S. decision-makers in the nation’s capital.