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Boston Globe
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
The view from Old Orchard Beach: many French Canadians say ‘non merci!'
Canadians, angered by President Trump's threats to make Canada the 51st state and by tariff increases, have been boycotting the United States in droves. On this longest day of the year, vacancy and Bienvenue signs were posted around town. The Canadian flag flew proudly just below Old Glory on Old Orchard Street. But there were also T-shirts for sale depicting Trump as a tattooed, muscle-bound 'Make America Great' hero in the front window of a nearby souvenir shop. Advertisement The sun peeked at the horizon at 5 a.m. near The Pier at Old Orchard Beach, on the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. Many hotels, motels, and campgrounds cater to French Canadians. They have bilingual staff and have built up decades-long relationships with their guests. Several restaurants here serve poutine, the popular Quebec dish of French fries topped with cheese curds and gravy. With nearly 40 percent of summer visitors coming from Canada, many merchants worry this could be a long, frustrating summer. A local chamber of commerce spokesperson said reservations are down 10 percent to 20 percent this season. In addition to the political turmoil , officials blame the rainy weather and unfavorable exchange rates. The number of Canadian travelers to Maine has declined 25 percent this year compared to last year, according to Customs Border Protection. Some establishments are dropping their three-day minimum stay policy and are offering discounts. Advertisement Tourists strolled down Old Orchard Street heading for the beach. Is this throwback honky-tonk town set on a magnificent 7-mile beach in dire straits? Hopefully not. On Friday, there were several cars with Quebec plates driving around town and a few no vacancy signs. Most locals are sick of Trump talk. It's a short season and politics here are as welcome as seeing a fin slicing through the shallow water. But Rico Pettinicco, a longtime parking lot attendant, predicts the French Canadians will return. They love the beach too much. The draw of the ocean is more powerful than any one man. Tourists peered at a Trump T-shirt in the front window of a shop on Old Orchard Street in Old Orchard Beach, Maine. 'I had one Canadian guy come, and say, 'I'm not mad at you, we're mad at Trump. Besides, we like it here,' Pettinicco said. 'He said, 'How would you like Maine to become a province of Canada?' Then I thought about the free benefits and everything. Maybe it wouldn't be bad.' Adam Donovan of Friendship Oceanfront Suites says things are not as dire as advertised. 'The people that have been returning for a decade plus have been coming back, but not the newer families,' Donovan said. Consequently, there are bargains for others. Rachael O'Shaughnessy, an award-winning local artist, cleaned the beach under the pier at sunrise. Jolene Twombly-Wiser, a teacher from Denmark, Maine, got upgraded to an oceanfront balcony suite because of the lack of Canadian visitors. She says she misses hearing French amid the rolling waves. 'I love Canadians. They're some of the nicest people in the world,' Twombly-Wiser said. She is not a Trump fan. 'It's his way, right? To try to say shocking things as if they're normal and get everyone riled up,' she said. 'But there's a lot of people here that depend on that income. It's obviously already having an impact here. I'd love to see all the Canadians on the beach.' Advertisement The sun rose on the longest day of the year, Friday, June 20th, at 5AM. Rachael O'Shaughnessy is an award-winning local artist who helps to clean the beach starting before sunrise as inspiration for her art. She has noticed a difference this year — and not just fewer people. 'So far I see less garbage,' she said. She doesn't want to discuss politics. 'It's really a brutally difficult time,' she says. She just wants to enjoy the solstice sunrise. 'I think every single sunrise has a unique beauty. And every single one is worthy of my getting up.' The Pier at Old Orchard Beach has seagulls on patrol for French fries but plenty of empty tables. Fred Kennedy, the bilingual owner of the Alouette Beach Resort, did a CNN interview months ago after Trump insulted Canada. 'I thought I was pretty even tempered,' he said. But he received hate email from both Americans who thought he wasn't being loyal and Canadians who were upset at his tone. 'Canadians thought I was being nonchalant with their pride of being Canadian,' Kennedy said. 'Some of them were angry that I was saying everything is just fine.' Sunset illuminates a bar patron at The Pier at Old Orchard Beach. He learned that social media can be mean-spirited. 'People that never stayed with us tried to hurt my business by going on and writing negative reviews.' Since then, US-Canada relations seem to be improving, Kennedy said, with Trump being respectful to Canada's new prime minister, Mark Carney. Kennedy says his business is down only 3 percent this year. On the beach, a woman in a USA sweatshirt celebrates the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. 'This weekend is sold out,' he said, noting that it's a long holiday weekend to celebrate the French Canadian patron, Saint Jean Baptiste, and some sports teams are in town. A Montreal tourist who declined to give his name says this isn't about politics. It's about being with his family at a place that makes him feel welcome. Advertisement 'No, I'm not going on about Trump,' he said. 'I've come here 20 years now. And I'm coming for the beach.' The sky is not falling, Kennedy insists. It's a perfect beach day and everybody is happy. 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CTV News
6 days ago
- CTV News
Nearly 30k fewer trips to U.S. from eastern Ontario border crossings in May
May saw the biggest decrease of 2025 in the number of travellers crossing into the United States at the three main border crossings from eastern Ontario to New York. Data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection show there were 136,916 total conveyances entering at the crossings at Alexandria Bay, Massena, and Ogdensburg, a drop of 29,332 total conveyances over the border from the 166,248 recorded in May 2024. This continues a trend of decreasing numbers of conveyances from Canada to the U.S. this year. There were 25,000 fewer crossings at the three border points in eastern Ontario in April, nearly 23,000 fewer crossings in March, and 16,000 fewer crossings in February. Only January saw a slight increase of just over 3,000 more crossings compared to the year prior. The Thousand Islands Bridge saw the biggest drop, with the number of conveyances travelling from Lansdowne, Ont. to Alexandria Bay, N.Y. dropping by 15,785 trips in May 2025 compared to 2024. There were 6,312 fewer trips from Cornwall, Ont. to Massena, N.Y. last month compared to the year before, and the number of trips from Prescott, Ont. to Ogdensburg, N.Y. fell by 7,235 year-over-year. Customs and Border Protection says this amounts to a drop of more than 65,000 total travellers across all conveyances at the three land border crossings from eastern Ontario. The total number of travellers crossing by land at all ports of entry between Canada and the U.S. fell by more than 1.1 million in May 2025 compared to May 2024. Data from Statistics Canada published last week showed there were 67,468 Canadian-plated vehicles entering Canada at the Cornwall, Lansdowne, and Prescott border crossings in May 2025. In May 2024, there were 91,790, meaning 2025 saw a 26.5 per cent decrease, year-over-year. The data from Customs and Border Protection does not identify the place of origin of conveyances and includes passenger vehicles and trucks. Many Canadians have been boycotting travel to the U.S. over U.S. President Donald Trump's threats of annexing Canada as the '51st state' and over broader concerns of safety at the border.
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Travel + Leisure
19-05-2025
- Travel + Leisure
Yes, You Can Get Global Entry for Free—Here's How
If you've flown internationally, you probably know the feeling: the high of a thrilling trip abroad, followed by the crushing low of the endless customs line waiting for you back home. Most travelers have to simply endure the long wait that comes with entry to the United States, but Global Entry can be your ticket to a faster arrival. This Customs & Border Protection program allows approved members to join an expedited passport clearance line, significantly reducing wait times at the more than 70 airports that utilize the service. Global Entry is usable both at eligible U.S. airports and at certain airports abroad where U.S. customs preclearance is offered, like Dublin Airport in Ireland and Toronto Pearson in Canada—and it also comes with the expedited security benefits of TSA PreCheck. All those perks come at a cost, but certain credit cards can cover the fees for you. Keep reading to learn exactly how to get Global Entry for free. As of May 2025, it costs $120 to apply for Global Entry. If you're approved, that fee is all you have to pay for five years. Global Entry memberships expire after five years, at which point you simply have to apply for renewal and pay the fee again. The requirements for joining the program are somewhat complicated. In addition to an online application, aspiring Global Entry members must complete an in-person interview and undergo a thorough background check. To be eligible for the program, you must be 18 years or older (or applying with the permission of a parent or guardian) and a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the U.S. or one of the several partner countries that allow participation in Global Entry, including the United Kingdom, Mexico, and more. You may be ineligible for Global Entry if you've been convicted of a crime, if you provide false information on your application, or if you've violated immigration or customs policies in any country, among other issues. For full details on Global Entry eligibility, consult the program's website. Michael Paulsen/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images It is possible to apply for Global Entry without shouldering that $120 cost, primarily through the use of a qualified credit card. Quite a few cards will cover the cost of the Global Entry application fee, typically as a statement credit issued after the cardholder pays upfront. Most eligible cards offer this benefit once every four years or so, meaning you won't be able to use the perk to enroll the whole family (but you should be able to use it each time you're due for a five-year renewal). Qualified cards range from beginner-friendly credit lines with no annual fee to exclusive high-end cards, and from personal accounts to corporate cards. The credit cards currently offering free Global Entry include the following, listed with their annual fees. Aeroplan® Credit Card: $95 annual fee American Express Business Platinum Card®: $695 annual fee American Express Centurion® Card: $5,000 annual fee American Express® Corporate Gold Card: $250 annual fee American Express Corporate Platinum Card®: $550 annual fee American Express Platinum Card®: $650 annual fee Arvest Visa Signature® Credit Card: $0 annual fee Capital One® Spark® Miles Business Card: $95 annual fee (waived the first year) Capital One® Venture® Card: $95 annual fee Capital One® Venture X® Business Card: $395 annual fee Capital One® Venture X® Card: $395 annual fee Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard®: $95 annual fee Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite MasterCard®: $595 annual fee Citi Prestige® Card: $495 annual fee Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Personal Card: $350 annual fee Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Business Card: $350 annual fee Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Personal Card: $650 annual fee Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Business Card: $650 annual fee HSBC Elite World Elite Mastercard®: $495 annual fee IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card: $99 annual fee IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card: $99 annual fee Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card: $650 annual fee MasterCard® Black Card™: $495 annual fee MasterCard® Gold Card™: $995 annual fee Navy Federal's Visa Signature® Flagship Rewards Card: $49 annual fee One Key+™ Card: $99 annual fee PenFed Pathfinder® Rewards Visa Signature® Card: $95 annual fee Provident World+ Travel®: $45 annual fee (waived the first year) Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card: $199 annual fee Truist Enjoy Beyond Credit Card: $95 annual fee UBS Visa Infinite Credit Card: $650 annual fee United Club℠ Card: $695 annual fee United℠ Explorer Card: $150 annual fee (waived the first year) United Quest℠ Card: $350 annual fee USAA Eagle Navigator™ Visa Signature® Credit Card: $95 annual fee Unfortunately, there aren't many other ways to get Global Entry for free besides using a qualified credit card. In addition to the cards above, though, there are a handful of cards that will cover part of the cost of Global Entry. These are typically cards that offer the full cost of TSA PreCheck as a benefit, but will also allow you to apply that benefit toward Global Entry. Some, therefore, will reimburse your Global Entry fee to the tune of $85—the cost of applying for TSA PreCheck. These include the HSBC Premier World MasterCard and Truist's Business Travel Rewards and Enjoy Travel cards. A few cap their Global Entry benefit at $100, including the Chase Sapphire Reserve card and the Bank of America Premium Rewards card. The TSA keeps a full list of PreCheck partner cards on its website, so you can always start there to see if your card of choice offers a PreCheck benefit that could be transferable to Global Entry.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
CBP seizes nearly 300 pounds of pork products in El Paso
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists, working at the Paso Del Norte international crossing in El Paso, seized nearly 300 pounds of prohibited pork products this week, CBP announced in a news release. Agriculture specialists seized 25 large rolls of prohibited pork bologna, two packages of pork ham, and 16 rolls of pork chorizo on Thursday, May 8, CBP said. The discovery was made just before 8 p.m. when a 61-year-old male presented himself for inspection in the vehicle lanes at the port of entry. After obtaining a negative declaration for fruits, vegetables, and meat products, a CBP officer at the primary booth spotted multiple rolls of meat under the floor mats, CBP said in its news release. The driver was referred for a secondary agriculture inspection. During the secondary exam, CBP agriculture specialists located 275 pounds of bologna, 17.6 pounds of pork ham, and 7 pounds of pork chorizo hidden in various locations in the vehicle, CBP said. The prohibited pork products were seized and destroyed by CBP, per U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations. The seizure marks the second time the individual was caught attempting to smuggle pork bologna from Mexico to the U.S. at the El Paso port of entry. The man was previously assessed a $1,000 penalty after CBP agriculture specialists discovered 30 rolls of bologna in the vehicle he was driving, CBP said. 'It is important that members of the traveling public clearly understand that pork products have the potential to introduce foreign animal diseases to the U.S. The impact to the U.S. economy and to our agriculture industry could be devastating,' CBP El Paso Director of Field Operations Hector A. Mancha said. 'Travelers should not try to cross pork products from Mexico to the U.S. If they are unsure, it is best for travelers to declare any items acquired abroad to help CBP stop the introduction of potentially harmful products,' Mancha said. The smuggling case is being referred to USDA Investigative and Enforcement Services who enforce alleged violations related to animal and plant issues, CBP said. CBP is also exploring civil penalties which may be applied. 'The USDA and the Department of Homeland Security are partners in the effort to protect American agriculture against the introduction of pests and diseases at our nation's ports of entry. Undeclared prohibited agriculture items will be confiscated and can result in a civil penalty for failure to declare,' the news release said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
