Colbert apologizes to Canada, praises Vickers: 'To hell with Bruce Willis'

Canada has had an image makeover, according to satirical comedian Stephen Colbert, and it's thanks to Parliament's Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers.

The Comedy Central host of The Colbert Report has a long history of making fun of the Great White North – "I know everything's metric up there so I'm going to say [their Christmas is on] the 57.28th of kilo-vember" – but events in Ottawa last week caught Colbert's attention.

"I cannot believe I am saying this, but I was wrong about Canada," Colbert said. "I have said some awful things about you over the years. I've said you're nothing but maple sucking moose-humpers. I've said you're a bunch of beaver-stroking iceholes. But now I know you are steely-eyed, snow-balled, John-Woo-diving sh**-kickers who not only take out the trash, but also the recycling."

And it was Vickers who has spurred Colbert's change of heart.

Colbert introduces the segment broadly detailing the shooting that killed Cpl. Nathan Cirillo before showing a clip with CBC host Evan Solomon. In the clip, Solomon describes the way Vickers dove across the floor of Parliament's Hall of Honour and fired on shooter Michael Zehaf-Bibeau.

Colbert praises the stoic Vickers. "To hell with Bruce Willis," he said. "This Canadian, this guy, our neighbour to the north just put the 'eh' in 'yippee-ki-yay mother-f***er'."

Colbert closes the segment with an apology – "I'm going to do the most Canadian thing I can imagine and say I am sorry," – before singing a somewhat off-key and altered version of O'Canada.

The segment was a hit of social media as Twitter users shared their appreciation.