A marathon in New York, a road trip through California, and a visit to Universal Studios: these are just some of the U.S. vacation plans Canadians are canceling in response to President Donald Trump’s threats against Canada.
Trump’s repeated remarks about Canada becoming the 51st state and the imposition of sweeping tariffs have angered America’s typically cordial northern neighbors.
Most notably, Trump’s latest executive order proposes 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports from Canada, the U.S.’s largest supplier, effective March 12.
As Canadian officials warn of retaliatory measures and the economic fallout of a trade war, many Canadians are seeking ways to retaliate on a personal level, viewing these threats as an unjust attack on a long-standing ally.
Polling shows an overwhelming majority of Canadians oppose merging with the U.S., while Trump’s tariff policies have fueled a backlash against American goods and services.
Ottawa artist Jordan Danger, for example, canceled her trips to the U.S. this year as “a matter of principle,” despite already putting down a deposit for Universal Studios. As an award-winning painter and sculptor, Danger had planned to visit U.S. galleries to grow her audience, but she felt boycotting was a “patriotic” response. Her concerns also included personal safety, citing the Trump administration’s rollback of protections for 2SLGBTQ+ individuals.
Similarly, Amanda-Lyn Smith’s family scrapped their two-week California and Nevada vacation plans, reallocating their $20,000 budget for a trip to Mexico. Smith said her children, aged 8 and 11, felt uneasy about Trump’s policies, influencing the decision.
Marathon runner Joe Paraskevas also opted out of a planned New York City Marathon trip in November, noting there’s “no shortage of alternatives” for runners in Canada. Despite qualifying for his age group’s world championships in New York, Paraskevas plans to focus on domestic races like the Quebec City Marathon instead, emphasizing that his boycott cost the U.S. $4,000.
Source: Swifteradio.com
