Maine governor tells N.B. that drop in Canadian tourism hurting small businesses
FREDERICTON — On a visit to New Brunswick, the governor of Maine issued renewed pleas for Canadian tourists to return to the United States, despite their apparent anger over the political climate.
Janet Mills says the words of Donald Trump are not those of the American people, and that many of them were "appalled" when the president called for Canada to become the "51st state."
Trump has said several times that he wants to make Canada the "51st state" and that he would use economic force to achieve it, and has imposed sweeping tariffs on Canadian goods, including on steel and aluminum.
Mills is on a three-day charm offensive to Canada where she is scheduled to meet with premiers of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
She told a group at Fredericton's Cyber Centre she understands how insulted Canadians must feel but says there are small businesses across the border in Maine whose families come from parts of Canada, including New Brunswick and Quebec, who are being hit hard.
Numbers released by the U.S. federal border crossing on Friday, showed 85,000 fewer Canadians entered Maine in May than in the same month a year ago, a drop of about 27 per cent.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 24, 2025.
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