I was expecting tomatoes to be thrown at me. I received a few, yes, but above all I was treated to a shower of emails from readers who now tell me they are boycotting the United States for their vacations, welcoming the suggestion in my Friday column1.
Posted at 6:30 a.m.
These readers write to me from all over Quebec, from Gatineau to Gaspésie, as well as from Ontario and Florida, among others.
In my column, I suggested that Canadians stick together and refuse to go to the United States for their vacation, whether in Florida, Vegas or elsewhere. Further on, I quoted an academic who proposed taxing travel to the United States to discourage Canadians from going there.
More than 150 readers wrote to me and of those, around 40 told me that with the arrival of Trump, they had given up on the United States or its products. The reflex comes from travelers, but also from certain “snowbirds” from Florida.
“We have decided to cancel our two-month trip planned to the American West in February-March in order to take a stand against the attitude of the future president,” Anne Préfontaine wrote to me.
Same thing for Marie-Lyne B.: “We had planned to spend the three months from April to July in the USA this summer camping. We will instead head towards the Maritimes and leave from May to August. Several of our friends will no longer go as well. »
A frequent reader from Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville had the same reflex: “We canceled two vacation trips to the United States, one with the family in Old Orchard and the other, as a couple, in Ogunquit. The attitude of the president-elect outraged us and we would not feel welcome among people who voted for him. We have a plan B to stay in Canada. »
Jean-François Trépanier: “We are retired and have been traveling in a small motor vehicle for 10 years. We went to the USA every year, often in the spring and fall (two months each time). As a response, we will avoid crossing the border this year. »
For 20 years, reader Rodrigue Despard has taken a two-month vacation per year in the United States. But it’s over, he told me: “We’ve decided not to go to the United States anymore as long as this damn president is in office.” »
Canadians spent $30 billion in 2023 during their stays in the United States, compared to around $14 billion for Americans in Canada, resulting in a deficit of nearly $16 billion. The deficit has been increasing year after year for 20 years, with the exception of the pandemic.
Even some “snowbirds” are there. André Perreault and his wife have been wintering tourists for 17 years. “It’s over. In December we sold our house in Florida. The value of the American dollar is knocking us down. And the new political climate of Trump and his gang of weirdos scares us, like climate change very present here. »
Luce Malette: “I have been a snowbird for seven years now and this will be the last year. It’s over for me, the exchange rate, inflation, Trump’s threats… I prefer to spend in Quebec. I will buy my coat and boots with the savings I make. »
Robert Charbonneau: “We sold our condo in Florida in 2019 because of Trump. We are boycotting Florida this year after spending two months there last winter under Biden. We will boycott the United States for all our travel from now on. We will also boycott American products as much as possible: cars, household appliances, furniture, Netflix, Apple TV, etc. »
-In fact, many readers don’t stop at travel. They also intend to avoid American products as much as possible.
Susan Parmenter: “We will not go to the United States as long as the clown is president.” And we will avoid consuming anything “Made in the USA”, whether in food, alcoholic beverages, music, cinema, literature, clothing, entertainment and other consumer goods. »
Another reader, who recently canceled his vacation on the American east coast, pleads for consumer solidarity: “I no longer buy American wines since the first election of Donald Trump. Yes to solidarity between provinces, but we can certainly do the same at the consumer level. »
Louise, from Blainville: “As soon as Trump was declared victorious, my husband and I gave up going to the USA for at least the next four years and decided never to buy an American car again. »
Nathalie Lagueux: “I haven’t set foot in this nice country since this ratatouille came south of the border. And don’t plan to go back there anymore. I also avoid plane travel that passes through there. Imagine Maine without Quebecers,” says this reader, who calls for a general boycott.
And so on…
Some are against the idea, considering it stupid to want to tax travel to the United States. Others argue that the idea would penalize those who have to pay their annual Florida condo fees anyway.
The recalcitrants are a minority among the readers who have written to me. On the contrary, some suggest drastic measures to me (I don’t know if they are technically feasible and desirable).
Thus, it is suggested to reduce the purchase exemptions for Canadians in the United States or to reduce the authorized duration of stay in the United States before the loss of Canadian health insurance.
In short, if we trust the emails received, Canadians – at least Quebecers – will not stand idly by in the face of Trump’s threats. And who knows, such a boycott could produce its effects.
1. Read the column “Reply to Trump Tariffs: Energy and Snowbirds”
Clarification: In my previous column, I wrote that Senator Marco Rubio had passed a law in 2023 to allow Canadian “snowbirds” aged 50 and over to stay in Florida for eight consecutive months rather than six. It would have been better to write that he had tabled a bill, since it has not yet been adopted. My fault.
