With political and economic tensions between Canada and the U.S. at an all-time high, Burlington, Vermont is extending a symbol of solidarity. The U.S. city is temporarily renaming a popular pedestrian street after Canada.
During a June 16 city council meeting, Councillor Becca Brown McKnight passed out small Canadian flags to other council members. The act was part of a resolution brought forward by McKnight to temporarily rename Church Street, a popular retail area in the city’s downtown, to Canada Street or Rue du Canada in French.
Council passed the resolution unanimously, with the name Canada Street to remain until Labour Day.
“Border crossings from Canada into Vermont have dropped about 30 to 40 per cent since this time last year, and these big declines, they aren’t just data points, they’re a sign, a very clear sign that the Trump administration’s damaging political rhetoric and inhumane immigration policies have discouraged travel and hurt the goodwill between our two countries,” McKnight said during the council meeting.
According to city Treasurer Mike Pieciak, Canadian tourists account for 750,000 visits to Vermont per year, spending $150 million. “It’s really important for us to find ways in Vermont to differentiate ourselves from the federal government, from the Trump administration, and say that we are here with open arms,” he said during the council meeting. “We want to maintain our relationships, our friendships, our economic ties to Canada. We want to encourage Canadians to continue to visit Vermont, and we have to find different ways to do that.”
This American cottager has a long history in Canada, a country she loves
One of the tactics proposed is to offer Canadians opportunities in Burlington to spend Canadian dollars on par with U.S. dollars. Pieciak said that Jay Peak Resort has done this and the Vermont Brewers Association plans to offer it at its summer festival from July 18 to 19.
Kelly Devine, the director of the Burlington Business Association, addressed council on Canadian tourism. She said that when the association last did a market study back in 2011, of the three million visitors Burlington received, 15 per cent were Canadian with many visitors arriving by boat. “They’re a big part of what helps keep our waterfront and harbour going in the summer. So, anything we can do to show that we’re supportive and taking a different tack than what we’re hearing nationally, I think could be helpful,” she said.
Burlington isn’t the only group of Americans enticing Canadian tourists. In April, a group of Seattle businesses in the dining, hospitality, and tourism sectors started the “Open Arms for Canada” campaign. The businesses knocked 30 per cent off Canadian tabs at the Blue Jays–Mariners baseball series from May 9 to 11.
The North Country Chamber of Commerce, which promotes tourism in the north of New York State, has been encouraging businesses to offer cross-border specials, such as free bike rentals and food deals. It’s also encouraged businesses to train staff in basic French greetings.
Finally, in May, California launched its “California Loves Canada” campaign, partnering with Expedia to offer discounts of up to 25 per cent on more than one thousand California hotels, activities, and attractions through a landing page made for Canadians.
“The state of mind in the United States of America has dramatically changed as it relates to the approach to Canada,” California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a video on Instagram, “and we want to make sure we send a message to our Canadian friends up north to come visit a state where two million Canadians visited last year. To come visit a state where there’s something for everybody.”
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