(Stephen Colbert. Photographed June 3, 2006 at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois by Kelly Martin.)

With apologies to Chris Matthews, Stephen Colbert is heading to the enemy camp: He’s going to Canada.

Colbert, whose feud with the Great White North is based on what he considers an international speedskating scandal, received an invitation to the 2010 Winter Olympics from the city that will be hosting speedskating at The Games.

Colbert’s beef with Canada stems from what he claims was an effort to limit the U.S. speedskating team’s practice time in the Vancouver area. Colbert’s show, “The Colbert Report,” became the U.S. speedskating team’s official sponsor after its original sponsor fell through. He soon put Canada in his sights, calling Canadians “syrup suckers” and “ice-holes.” He even started a letter-writing campaign against the country.

Last week, we reported that Colbert has a Canadian background, according to Ancestry.ca, and now he might be heading there.

The City of Richmond, B.C., has invited Colbert to serve as an ombudsman, overseeing the treatment of the American team while it’s in Canada.

“I have no idea what an ombudsman is, but as long as it requires no effort from me, I proudly accept,” Colbert said on his show Thursday night (watch it below).

Colbert believes that “nothing can stop U.S. speedskaters now, except maybe Canadians.”

He quoted a Wall Street Journal report that said Canada has “an aggressive new attitude” for these Olympic Games.

“According to one of the Canadian coaches, Canada is finally more concerned with winning than being nice, hence their new Olympic slogan, ‘Own the Podium,’” Colbert said. “In contrast to their previous slogan, ‘Pardon, would it trouble you if we won a medal or two? It would? OK, never mind.’”

Colbert said his efforts and those of his fans were already paying off because he received an official letter from the International Skating Union, saying the speedskating rink will be open earlier, which would allow the Americans to practice.

“I am kind of surprised the Canadians responded this quickly,” he said. “Their postal beaver normally takes months to cross Manitoba.”

Stephen Colbert has turned his brow-arched eye to the north lately, picking on Canada in the run-up to the 2010 Winter Olympics. He’s accused Canadians of cheating at the Winter Games, which haven’t even yet begun, he’s called them “syrup suckers” and has advocated for an American-based Ontario Hockey League team.

(Check out the video below to see Colbert launch a letter-writing campaign against Canada)

As it turns out, though, Colbert might as well have a maple leaf tattooed on his syrup sucker.

That’s what Ancestry.ca would have you believe, anyway. The family lineage Web site looked into Colbert’s background and found that he has two (sort of) Canadians in his background.

James Quinn, Stephen’s great-great-grandfather, was born in Ireland in 1830 but eventually set sail for a better life in Canada.

According to his 1851 Census record, James Quinn lived and worked as a labourer in Frontenac County near Kingston, Ontario. James’ daughter Angeline Quinn married George William Colbert, Stephen’s great-grandfather.

Mary Skelton (nee Mary Ann Gurry) is another paternal ancestor of Stephen’s. Also born in Ireland, she was Stephen’s great-great-grandmother. She immigrated to the United States where she would meet her future husband Creighton Skelton.

What happened next is unclear, but at some point Mary ended up moving north of the border, where she would live out her last days. According to her Ontario death certificate, Mary Skelton passed away on June 29, 1880 in Haldimand County, near the shores of Lake Erie.

Mary and Creighton’s daughter Elizabeth Skelton married Hugh Tormey. Their daughter Mary Tormey married James W. Colbert Sr. — Stephen’s grandfather.

“As Stephen himself admits, he has little time for facts, logic or information… he prefers to feel the truth rather than look it up in historical records,” said Karen Peterson, marketing director for Ancestry.ca. “However, we are confident that if he searches his soul deep down the truthiness of his Canadian heritage will be too powerful to deny.”