Latest news with #MAGA-subversive

Boston Globe

Make America Go Away? American tourists worry about how Canadians will receive them this summer.

In shops, you can find 'Canada is Not for Sale' T-shirts and hats. MAGA-subversive 'Make America Go Away' hats are also popular. Canadian comedian Mike Myers has been signaling Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up All of this is proving worrisome to Americans with Canadian vacation plans. What can American tourists expect if Canadians, once known as the politest denizens in the Northern Hemisphere and the most prolific users of the word 'sorry,' are booing the national anthem and have their elbows positioned in a defensive hockey stance? Advertisement 'Every summer we've been going to Prince Edward Island,' said Jill Graham of Windham, N.H. 'It's our favorite spot in the world. We usually drive, but I asked my husband, 'Should we fly there and rent a car instead? Would someone key our car because we have US license plates?' Do they realize not all of us agree with Trump?' Doug Hubley and his wife Gretchen Schaefer of Portland, Maine, also worry about their Canadian transcontinental train trip this summer. The couple, who describe themselves as progressive Democrats, wonder if the presence of vacationing Americans could worsen things. 'If they'd rather we didn't show up, we could have accepted that,' Hubley said. 'We want to show respect for people who otherwise are getting so much disrespect from certain representatives of the US.' T-shirts at the Billings Bridge Shopping Center reflect Canada's newfound sense of pride and patriotism. Christopher Muther/Globe Staff For those concerned about their vacation plans, the official message from Canada's tourism industry is that Americans are still welcome, and it's doubtful your car will get keyed (unless, perhaps, you're driving a Tesla Cybertruck plastered in Trump bumper stickers). The United States is Canada's largest tourism market. Last year, approximately 23.4 million US residents took trips to Canada, according to 'I will say Canadians are ready to welcome Americans on a person-to-person level,' said Andrew Weir, president and chief executive of Destination Toronto. 'We recognize that it's an important statement that visitors who come here are making. They are willing to travel, support, and learn more about us, and that's powerful.' Weir also pointed out that the favorable exchange rate has been a factor in enticing tourists to come north of the border. Advertisement However, ask locals outside of the tourism industry how they think Americans will be treated and the answers are slightly different. 'I don't think Americans will be treated as warmly as they usually are,' said Immanuel Lanzaderas, an attorney from Ottawa. 'Canadians are far too British to say anything rude to your face. But when you turn around to leave, they might say to the person sitting next to them, 'Can you believe they even admit they're from America now?' It's very subtle.' Sabrina MacLean, bartender at the Clarendon restaurant in Ottawa, fills drink orders during happy hour at the bar. Christopher Muther/Globe Staff The sentiment was similar during happy hour at the Clarendon Tavern in Ottawa's Bywater Market. Bartender Sabrina MacLean said she doesn't anticipate Americans being treated radically differently by Canadians, unless they show up in 'Make America Great Again' gear or start talking about Canada as the 51st state. 'I think that's just common courtesy,' she said. 'Things are very politically charged right now. You should be respectful if you're a guest in someone's country. I haven't seen that happen, and I can't imagine something like that ever happening, but I never thought I'd see a trade war between the US and Canada, so who knows?' At a sugar shack outside the city, Raluca Boros, who works for 'It's reached a point where people will want to engage and hear what Americans are thinking,' she said. While there are endless stories about declining relations between the two countries, spending time here is the best way to see what's happening. It's the little things that stand out. At Advertisement 'I've never seen it out this early,' said Dollarama customer Charlotte Scott as she picked up a maple leaf pinwheel for her daughter. Canada Day is nearly three months away, but stores in Ottawa are already stocked with patriotic ephemera. Christopher Muther/Globe Staff On Parliament Hill, John Tremblay and his family were visiting from Montreal and touring the Canadian Senate and House of Commons. Tremblay said it was his first time seeing the government buildings, and that the tariffs and talk of Canadian annexation partially inspired the trip. 'A lot of us take what we have here for granted, but lately I realize we're lucky,' Tremblay said. 'Our government isn't perfect, and Canada is far from perfect, but when I see what's happening in the US, I'm thankful to be in a place where I feel safe, and my family can feel safe.' In the face of tariffs, Canadians are increasingly turning to locally made products, and leaving American goods and produce on shelves. Christopher Muther/Globe Staff Tremblay and others here pointed out that a power shift, at least on Canadian soil, seems to be underway. Canadians are feeling more proud than ever of their heritage and their country. Meanwhile, tourists from the United States no longer seem quite as smug. Brandi Inns, a waitress at 'Everyone, and I mean everyone, I've served from the US since Mr. Trump took office, are all very apologetic about how he's treating Canada,' Inns said as she served French toast and coffee during the breakfast rush. 'It's as if they somehow feel personally responsible. Or they're scared of how we'll treat them. It's completely different from what it was a year ago.' Advertisement Christopher Muther can be reached at