They Just Don't Get It

Maybe it's because they are the 'greatest' nation on earth, if not in the entire history of the world (he said sardonically). Perhaps  they are eternal optimists, or, more possibly, incredibly stupid (my pick). Whatever the explanation, the citizens of the United States of Amerika do not understand why the number of tourists visiting their country is plummeting.

Canadian travel to the U.S. has cratered after Trump took office. In March, trips made from Canada into the U.S. plummeted by nearly a million compared to the same time last year, comprising the second consecutive month of year-over-year decreases.

The real reason for that decline will be discussed a bit later, but the Americans are doing everything they can to reverse what for them is a disastrous economic trend. Despite Trump's recent and repeated declarations that the U.S. doesn't need anything from Canada, there are many who know otherwise.

For example, New York Congresswoman Elise Stephaniuk thinks that maybe Canadians are put off by the fact that they can't stay longer while visiting her land of milk and honey. She has a remedy, having introduced

the Canadian Snowbird Visa Act, a bipartisan bill to extend the duration Canadian citizens who own or lease a residence in the United States may stay—from 182 days to 240 days annually.

“Our neighbors to the north provide more visits to the United States than any other country, and they are critically important to North Country tourism and industry,” said Congresswoman Stefanik. “Providing Canadians who own homes and property in the United States with extra time to visit and boost our economy will help revive Canadian tourism to the United States.”

Under current U.S. immigration law, Canadian citizens can only stay in the United States for up to 182 days per year without a visa. The Canadian Snowbird Visa Act would allow eligible Canadians—aged 50 and over who either own or lease a U.S. residence—to extend their stay to up to 240 days annually.

Perhaps a little more grounded in reality is California Governor Gavin Newsom's appeal to Canadians: 

Speaking of California, Palm Springs is trying to entice Canadiana back:

Earlier this month, the city of Palm Springs, Calif., put up dozens of red banners that feature a heart with a Canadian flag nestled between the words “Palm Springs” and “Canada.”

“It was a way for us to say to the Canadians that are part of our community for so many months out of the year that we appreciate them, and in light of all the unrest and emotional up-and-down, that we’re standing by their side,” Palm Springs Mayor Ron deHarte told CTVNews.ca. “We will continue to support one another and welcome them back next season, or whenever the dust settles, and everybody feels comfortable to come back.”

All of these efforts miss a central point about a major factor, in addition to Canadian nationalistic fervour, inducing people to avoid travel to the U.S. THEY DON'T FEEL SAFE!

A Leger Marketing poll, conducted on behalf of the Association for Canadian Studies, made some interesting discoveries:

The survey of 1,626 Canadians found 52 per cent of people feel “it is no longer safe for all Canadians travelling to the United States.” Twenty-nine per cent disagreed with the sentiment and 19 per cent were unsure.

This belief was felt most strongly among respondents over 55 and in residents of Atlantic Canada, British Columbia and Ontario. People aged 18 to 54 and people in Alberta were less inclined to agree.

The dangers posed to Canadians by the U.S. has been well-known for many years, unless one has been living in a media vacuum. Finally, thanks to the hostile actions of our American 'neighbours', more and more of our people are recognizing the country for what it is: an incubator of anger, instability, violence  and death, the repercussions of which we can no longer turn a blind eye to.

UPDATE: This just in, apropos to everything.

 

If Travelling To The United States, Be Very Afraid

Last month, I wrote about the terrifying saga of Jasmine Mooney. A couple of recent videos remind us, through her story, of the perils travelling to the United States entails.

If you need further convincing, you may want to watch a longer interview with Jasmine Mooney.

Then there was the horrifying detention of Rebecca Burke.

She was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) for 19 days in what her father described as “horrendous conditions”. Now, to be fair, Burke had the wrong paperwork: she hadn’t realised that she needed a working visa instead of a tourist visa in order to exchange domestic chores for accommodation with a host family. But getting imprisoned for almost three weeks over a mix-up and then being led on to a deportation flight – in chains! – back to a country that is supposedly a close ally, is obviously extreme.

Moore and Burke's stories are but two of many.  They are undoubtedly part of the reason behind Canada's travel warning for those considering going to the formerly friendly nation.

Canada has updated its advice to those travelling to the United States, warning travellers they may face “scrutiny” from border guards and the possibility of detention if denied entry.

 The updated advisory notes that if denied entry to the U.S., citizens could be detained while awaiting deportation if they fail to meet entry exit requirements.

“Individual border agents often have significant discretion in making those determinations,” the advisory said. “Expect scrutiny at ports of entry, including of electronic devices. Comply and be forthcoming in all interactions with border authorities.”

The warnings seem to be having an effect.

At least one institution — the Universite de Montreal — put out a memorandum to staff and students about what to expect at the U.S. border and to take precautions including leaving sensitive research data at home and to register with the school on a voluntary basis before travel.

The CBC offers this warning:

U.S. Border Patrol officers can look through a mobile phone, check comments made on social media and examine a laptop without a warrant. They can also take devices or download all of their contents.

Border guards are supposed to be scanning for evidence that a traveller might commit a crime in the U.S. or violate the terms of their entry visa, but negative statements about the country or its president might make them look harder.

From the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Adam Schwartz says finding something 'damning' on a person's phone could be as simple as someone writing,

'I am angry at the president of the United States' or 'I'm proud to be Canadian and it makes me mad that the United States has just imposed tariffs on us or whatever it is".

Given the current climate south of the border and the fact that they are embracing protocols one normally associates with authoritarian regimes, the prudent choice for all Canadians is to avoid any unnecessary travel there until further notice.