Americans hope Canadians stick with stateside summertime traditions
Maine residents offer their thoughts on the ongoing trade war as the tourism season heats up.
U.S. resident Don Hoenig has traditionally spent summers in his Old Orchard Beach, Maine, neighbourhood surrounded by Canadians, and he wants to keep it that way.
'So come on down,' says Hoenig. 'Don't stay away just because of politics. We would love to have you.'
The simmering U.S. trade war and rhetoric about Canada becoming 'the 51st state' is top of mind in some of southern Maine's vacation communities as the summer tourism season heats up.
Cross-border traffic has dropped significantly and there's been a mass cancellation of Canadian reservations at Maine hotels and inns.
In response, U.S. resident Mark Duval is proudly flying the Canadian flag outside his Old Orchard Beach home.
'The Canadian flag speaks volumes for me,' says Duval. 'We cherish the Canadians who come down and we have a great friendly relationship with them. And we depend on them.'
For Jane Sparks, the tariff turmoil is a bit more personal. Sparks was born in Canada but has spent a large part of the last four decades in the United States where she met her husband. In fact, Sparks was proposed to by the ocean in Old Orchard Beach.
Sparks is hoping Canadians will ultimately make a decision to stick with their stateside summertime traditions.
'It's sad that they're not coming because of our political environment,' she says. 'We depend on tourism. And it's a shame to hurt the little people in America.'
During a typical summer, up to 40 per cent of Old Orchard Beach visitors come from Canada.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
Coal mining town hall with premier in Fort Macleod draws hundreds
Calgary Watch Hundreds of people packed a town hall in Fort Macleod, hoping the premier and cabinet ministers would hear their views on coal mining in Alberta.
CBC
3 hours ago
- CBC
It's 1 year until the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Is Vancouver ready?
Social Sharing One year out from the FIFA World Cup, questions remain about where soccer fans visiting Vancouver will stay and how much it will cost to keep the city safe. Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim spoke to reporters at an event marking the one-year countdown to the tournament on Wednesday, saying the city began working on security plans even before it was confirmed to host seven 2026 World Cup games. He says those plans were "augmented" after 11 people were killed when a man drove a car into a crowd at the Lapu-Lapu Day festival in April. The security costs have not been publicly released, but Sim says the city will "make the necessary investments to make sure that people are safe in the city of Vancouver" during the event. WATCH | Is hosting the World Cup worth it? Is hosting the FIFA World Cup worth the ballooning costs? 1 year ago Duration 1:59 Toronto and Vancouver are slated to host 13 FIFA World Cup games in 2026, and the security budgets have gone up by tens of millions of dollars. Some are asking if it's worth it. Spencer Chandra Herbert, B.C.'s minister of tourism, arts, culture and sport, says the province will release a "full costing" later this month, updating how much it expects to spend on the World Cup. Back in April 2024, B.C. organizers estimated the cost at between $483 million and $581 million for city and provincial services, as well as upgrades to B.C. Place stadium. Vancouver Coun. Sean Orr said he isn't convinced the economic benefits of the tournament will outweigh concerns about cost overruns, security, and potential long-term effects on housing affordability. "I just don't know if throwing a party in the midst of, you know, [a] potential downturn in the economy is the best plan right now," he told CBC News. "We've got threats of tariffs, we've got, you know, downturns in the market ... is this the best use of our resources right now? That's my big concern." Hotel rooms up in the air About 350,000 people are expected to visit Vancouver during the World Cup, Chandra Herbert said at Wednesday's event. Questions have been raised about where they'll stay, as a city report released in April noted there are just 13,000 rooms spread across 78 hotels within the municipality. The report found that Vancouver lost about 550 hotel rooms between 2020 and 2022, in part because some older hotels were converted to housing for vulnerable people. WATCH | Questions over hotel capacity in Vancouver: Is Vancouver ready to accommodate the 2026 FIFA World Cup? 1 year ago Duration 6:24 Royce Chwin, CEO of Destination Vancouver, said the seven matches Vancouver will host will be spread throughout June and July of next year, leading to an "ebb and flow" of visitors. "We had nine hotels in the pipeline a couple years ago," he told CBC News. "We're now up to 23 because we're getting the word out there." Tourists may need to get creative during the tournament, Chandra Herbert suggested. "We're working with our hotel partners across the province," he said. "We think there's opportunity for people to stay further afield. "We know Hullo and B.C. Ferries, we're looking at them as an opportunity for overflow, even all the way to Nanaimo," the minister added. "Of course, out in the [Fraser] Valley." Chandra Herbert said some Vancouver residents may also look to rent out their homes during the World Cup. Both the province and the City of Vancouver have regulations for short-term rentals, including rules on what types of homes can be used. In Vancouver, all operators must also have a business licence. The FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 11, 2026, with opening games in Mexico City and Guadalajara. Toronto and Vancouver are the two Canadian cities hosting matches, as part of the 16 host cities across Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. Vancouver will stage five opening-round games starting June 13, plus a round-of-32 and a round-of-16 match.
Globe and Mail
4 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Alberta Premier grilled on province's coal policy at rowdy, angry town hall
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and three of her ministers got an earful on Wednesday night from southern Alberta locals at a rowdy, hours-long town hall to discuss the province's coal policy. About 500 people, dressed in cowboy hats, belt buckles, and jeans, packed a community hall in Fort Macleod, Alta., for an event marked by heckling, competing applause and placards. 'If we are not prepared to look and find middle-ground solutions to allow for industries to proceed while reducing our environmental footprint, you're going to find that different industries become the next on the hit list,' Smith said through a chorus of protesting voices and verbal jabs. 'Banning industries is just not something we are going to do.' The premier and her ministers of energy, environment and agriculture took questions and were shouted down on several occasions by attendees as they defended changes to the province's coal policy. Many in the crowd held small placards reading 'lie' and 'false,' raising them each time they disagreed with a statement. There was a notable group that came in support of the province's coal policy, frequently applauding the ministers and shooting back at other crowd members. Many attendees carried notebooks and pens, keenly taking notes throughout. The town hall came weeks after the Alberta Energy Regulator, or AER, granted an Australia-based coal company permission to start a controversial coal exploration on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. Northback Holding Corp.'s project at Grassy Mountain was initially rejected in 2021 when a panel ruled that the likely environmental effects on fish and water quality outweighed the potential economic benefits. Alberta regulator approves controversial coal exploration applications at Grassy Mountain Late last year, the project was exempted from the Alberta government's decision to ban open-pit coal mines because Northback's application was considered an 'advanced' proposal. The issue has been polarizing in southern Alberta, where the debate has primarily revolved around the economic implications of development against environmental effects. A non-binding referendum in Crowsnest Pass saw 70 per cent of voters saying they'd support the nearby coal project. Despite frequent pushback over the two-and-a-half-hour event, Smith rarely chose to get into back-and-forth discussions with attendees. She defended the province's approach to coal developments, pitching responsible development that prioritizes environmental standards. Smith also frequently cited a lawsuit by five coal companies that say they're owed $15 billion by the province in lost revenues and sunk costs. She argued again on Wednesday that she had taxpayers in mind when the province lifted its moratorium on coal mining and development on the eastern slopes. 'If we do nothing, then we are told we'll likely lose those cases and have to pay ($15 billion).' An energetic Brian Jean, the province's energy minister, frequently challenged the boisterous crowd and at times trotted offstage to hand his business card to those asking questions. 'I live in the oilsands. You can't tell me what I'm concerned about and what I'm not concerned about. I'm very concerned about our earth and our planet,' he said. Coal mines on Alberta's eastern slopes are poisoning fish populations, study says Several questions returned to a new study by Alberta government scientists, yet to be peer reviewed, which recently said old coal mines on the eastern slopes are poisoning fish and any further coal mining there would result in 'population collapse' of fish species in a nearby lake. Asked about the report, Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz said the province is looking into the issue and is waiting for it to be confirmed by the peer-review process. She said further studies to be released later this year are being conducted. 'We want to understand what is happening there so that we can prevent that from happening in the future.' The premier also jousted with protesters while speaking to reporters before the town hall. When a group gathered behind her and started yelling, she turned around and asked them to let her finish the interview. 'I'm looking for a little bit of courtesy,' she said. The event was scheduled to last two hours, but Smith asked to take questions for an extra 30 minutes after the clock had run out.
