I blog weekly, typically gay this or gay that. It’s hard to focus on such topics when the president of the United States is intentionally doing things to mess up lives throughout the world…withdrawal of funding to foreign aid programs, blanket tariffs, chaotic messaging.
If I were like his Republican supporters, I would bury my head in the sand. The sky isn’t falling. I would instead write another post about being gay. But I’m not and I can’t. Feeling cause for stress, I’ll continue on the theme of last week’s post, Border Walls, where I mentioned that I, like many Canadians, will be limiting my border crossings to the U.S.
It’s normally an easy trip to make. Most Canadian cities are in the south of the country so the Canada-U.S. border is only a short drive from home. It’s about a forty-minute drive for me and I have a Nexus pass which allows me to skip what can be long lines at times.
I moved back to Canada from Los Angeles thirty years ago and border crossings have been rather regular ever since. It started with me making grocery runs for American products I couldn’t get in Vancouver. I grew to like Fairhaven, a community in Bellingham a short drive across the border. I write in various cafés there, my favorite in Boulevard Park with a view of Bellingham Bay. I ride my bike on Chuckanut Drive, a gorgeous, narrow roadway lined by arbutus trees and evergreens and offering views of the sea. I visit the charming hamlet of Edison. It’s all part of a day trip that invigorates me.
Just as often, I keep driving south. I love Seattle. I love Portland. I absolutely adore the Oregon Coast. I’ve driven down the coast to L.A. a number of times.
I won’t be making any of these trips in the near future. I must minimize my time and my spending in the United States as long as tariffs and belittling comments about making Canada the fifty-first state continue.
The intention is that, if enough Canadians stay away, the U.S. economy will take a hit and mayors and governors will start speaking out. Senators of border states—even the Republicans—may finally tell the omniscient president to knock of the rhetoric and axe the tariffs.
Wishful thinking? Perhaps. In February alone, however, Canadians made 500,000 less border crossings. As I drove home late Friday afternoon from a B.C. hike, signage for four local border crossings each indicated it was less than a five-minute wait. This is unheard of heading into a weekend when waits typically exceed an hour. If this trend continues, yes, American businesses are going to feel the pinch.
What Trump doesn’t understand is how pissed off Canadians are and how his agenda has united us, stoking national pride more than I’ve seen in my lifetime. COVID is still in our rear-view window. We went a couple of years without being able to cross the border. Maybe all that was a rehearsal for this. Limiting trips to the U.S. does not seem like a big sacrifice now.
Just like during COVID, I’ve begun making a list of all the places in British Columbia I want to visit or revisit on day trips and for weekend getaways. I’m looking forward to these travels. BC is a beautiful, varied province. I’ve also begun glancing at other places in Canada and abroad that have long been on my bucket list. This feels like the perfect time to explore some of them. I am truly excited. Let me support other people and economies.
I do still have to make some trips to the U.S. My family lives in Colorado and Texas. My parents are in their late eighties and travel, especially flying, is harder and less likely. In the past, I have consciously avoided trips to Texas but now it looks like an annual trip will be required. My partner also lives in Colorado. Visits to see him are non-negotiable. He’s my priority and I won’t let politics get in the way of our relationship.
Still, my time in the U.S. will be much reduced. I will miss all my usual haunts. I will also miss seeing some friends but, quite frankly, they’re overdue to visit me in Canada.
Come for a visit. Canada is very welcoming. Canada recognizes the independence of sovereign nations. Canada does not start trade wars presumably as a clumsy way to ignore and renegotiate trade agreements.
I am but one Canadian. But I am also one of many.
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