This letter was sent to Minister Melanie Joly and MP Patrick Weiler, and shared with Pique.
I am a Canadian citizen, longtime member of the Whistler community (Patrick Weiler’s riding) and worked in the tourism industry for about 35 years, serving many U.S. clients.
We are about to enter a trade war that we have not asked for, against a much larger economic power. Those tariffs imposed on the U.S. by Canada may go unnoticed by most American citizens. Those imposed by the U.S. will not be immediately felt by Canadians who are not directly involved in exports. It does seem that we are caught between the proverbial “rock and a hard place.” Do we have the “spine” to stand up to a bully?
One reaction, not mentioned in the press to my knowledge, is a travel visa. A tariff on travel, implemented by the imposition of a travel visa at some rate like $100, (this is about the same as a Canadian pays to travel in New Zealand) would catch the attention of more in the U.S. than most other tariffs. More than most actions on Canada’s part this would at the very least reinforce to Americans the notion that many in Canada are skeptical of U.S. voting priorities or of the present government or both.
Of course this would hurt our tourism industry, but at least it would carry an interprovincial message. It seems questionable that such a visa would impact a traveller planning a week-long vacation, but would likely impact day visits. Any tariff we impose is negative for Canada, but here at least is one that would reach a significant number of U.S. citizens who might just let their views known to their government.
