U.S. anglers, hunters wonder whether they are still welcome

Winnipeg Free Press

28-04-2025

Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge has long lured American tourists with its unique fly-in fishing adventures. But recently, fewer are biting.
'We had our best sales month in January and in March, ever, and we had a pretty good month in February, too; things were looking really good,' co-owner Pit Turenne said, referring to bookings for the upcoming fishing season.
'Since the tariffs came in April, it's been pretty quiet.'
While U.S. President Donald Trump's headline-grabbing comments about Canada becoming the 51st state didn't seem to deter American travellers, economic forces appear to be having a more profound impact.
'Travel spending and those luxury expenses are the first things to get cut,' Turenne said, adding some Americans have been calling and emailing to see whether they'll be welcome.
'We've had a lot of calls from our guests that come up here apologizing and saying, 'We still like you, do you still like us? Can we still come?' Tongue-in-cheek stuff like that,' he said.
In some cases, customers have booked, expressing a desire to get away from the 'circus' at home for a few weeks this summer.
'There's also this sort of escapist tourism from some of these groups just hoping to get out of there,' he said. 'It's interesting. It's not a normal booking cycle, I guess.'
While fishing season is near, the province's hunting outfitters are early in their off-season and haven't felt the weight of the current political climate.
Paul Conchatre, who owns Birdtail Waterfowl, a hunting lodge business, is answering a steady stream of calls.
'We're still getting a ton of inquiries, and it hasn't changed from last year to this year; it's kind of on par,' Conchatre said.
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Before the tariff talks and subsequent implementation, Conchatre said the number of inquiries was above average, although it has slowed slightly since March.
'But I'd say there's a lot of interaction from guests, just feeling out the temperature, the environment,' he said. 'A lot of it, I'm finding, is they're not on board with what is happening and there is a lot of empathy for us and Canadian business.
'They're glad they're still coming, but it's more of a check in to see how we feel. Are we mad at them?'
Those calls are entirely new territory for him.
'I laugh,' he said, adding that the strife isn't between regular Americans and Canadians, but rather the two governments.
Angela Cassie, Travel Manitoba's chief operating officer, said there isn't much evidence that bookings are being disproportionately affected, but the questions are similar to what others are getting: will we be welcome?
'Our message… is, 'Absolutely,'' Cassie said.
Economic Development Winnipeg reported that U.S. auto trips to Canada dropped by 7.9 per cent in February compared to the same time in 2024.
In Winnipeg, American visitors account for 25 per cent of all tourism spending, officials told city council last week.
Despite geopolitical unease, a recent Probe Research poll showed 86 per cent of Winnipeggers agree residents should continue to warmly welcome American travellers.
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That sentiment stretches beyond the city, Cassie added, pointing to the economic importance of fishing tourism.
'From an economic perspective, fishing is a huge growth market for us, and a lot of our fishing comes from Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Wisconsin and Iowa, and also as far as Texas and California,' she said.
As Travel Manitoba continues its U.S. marketing efforts, it's also pivoting to attract more Canadians who might be rethinking their traditional trips south.
'We're not keeping our eye off the ball to the south, we're continuing to market there… and maintaining a really high visibility there,' she said. 'But also trying to see is there opportunity in Alberta, in Ontario, to attract more anglers looking for Canadian locations.'
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Scott BilleckReporter
Scott Billeck is a general assignment reporter for the Free Press. A Creative Communications graduate from Red River College, Scott has more than a decade's worth of experience covering hockey, football and global pandemics. He joined the Free Press in 2024. Read more about Scott.
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