President Trump could best be described as a cigarette boat on a tranquil St. Lawrence River morning. In his wake, he leaves a din of noise and high waves crashing along both shores. The trouble is the swells are still pounding away on southern Ontario, and Canadians remain upset, “elbows up,’’ to co-opt an old hockey term.
The consequences could be a significant drop in St. Lawrence County tourism — gas, meals, lodging and shopping — by our Canadian neighbors.
“Canadians are upset and offended with the commentary, and we get it,’’ said Tif Amo, director of tourism for the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce. “We don’t fault them. We want to be respectful of their sentiments, however they remain our friends and neighbors. We want to keep the relationship strong.’’
Americans got their first whiff of the ill will when the President issued his demeaning comments about a “51st state,’’ belittling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as “governor’’ and calling the border “an artificially drawn line.’’ They heard Canadians’ disdain loud and clear when hockey fans rained down boos on The Star-Spangled Banner at the 4 Nations Face-Off in Montreal.
North Country residents received a firsthand wake-up call at the Battle of Ogdensburg commemoration in late February when re-enactors from the Canadian Regiment of Fencible Infantry from the Kingston area stayed home.
David Moore, who acts as a major in the Fencibles, told CBC: “All of our members pretty well are Canadians, and a lot of them are very angry, as many Canadians are, about the situation and they’re very hesitant to go across the border.’’
The pulse among Canadians continues to race as an op-ed headline two weeks ago in the Toronto Star proclaimed: “Trump launches golden age of stupid,’’ a dissection of his latest tariff threat.
Jim Reagan, former managing editor of the Ogdensburg Journal and Advance-News for 26 years, community relations director to state Sen. Patty Ritchie for 14 years and proprietor of the Sherman Inn with his wife Donna for the past five years, recognizes the rollercoaster ride that embodies the cross-border relationship.
“I think Ogdensburg’s businesses need to work together to send a message to our Canadian friends that their elbows may be up, but we are still extending the hand of friendship and the same warm embrace that has welcomed them, their parents, grandparents and ancestors throughout our shared history.’’
“I think most Canadians realize that in the world of international relations there have always been and always will be ups and downs and disputes over trade and other issues,’’ Reagan said. “But Ogdensburg’s relationship with our neighbors to the North transcends these disputes. Over half of our city’s population can trace its ancestry to the French of Quebec, the Scottish, Irish and English of Ontario.’’
To that end, St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce’s Amo and Laura Pearson spent last weekend in Ottawa at the Travel and Vacation Show at the Rogers Centre to promote Northern New York attractions and try to soothe feathers.
“This is not the first time we’ve had Canadians mad and upset over Donald Trump,’’ said Pearson, a community coordinator and business specialist. “This has happened before. We can’t control what the president does. All we can do is promote the county and Ogdensburg and our attractions. We love our Canadian neighbors.’’
Amo said she receives emails to the tune of “your county is beautiful, but we still won’t be visiting for X, Y, or Z years.’’
The Chamber’s data points and anecdotal information show that Canadians seek outdoor activities —camping, hiking and visits to the Adirondack mountains. Shopping and access to American mail service also are big draws.
“We’ve had the conversations with Canadian agencies: ‘Do you think if the tariffs went away that travel would resume as normal?’” Amo said. “The consensus was that because of the commentary by our president that no, the damage has been done.’’
Until the rhetoric cools and feelings normalize, Amo and Pearson face a challenge. They took a punch from Covid in 2020, and now the tariff tirade. Crossings at the Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge are down sharply. Automobile traffic is down 38 percent over last year and truck traffic is down 15 percent. You can blame the decline on Trump trash talk and the weak Canadian dollar, which was worth 71 cents in American dollars. Lousy spring weather remains a factor too; snow, rain and cold inhibit travel.
Reagan remains undaunted.
“My message is simple. We will get through this by focusing on what brings us together as friends and neighbors who have always cared about each other.’’
Morristown native Jim Holleran is a retired teacher and sports editor from Rochester. Reach him at jimholleran29@gmail.com or view past columns under “Reflections of River Rat’’ at https://hollerangetsitwrite.com/blog/
Holleran Gets It Write 