A number of Saskatchewan travellers boycott U.S. amid tariff threats

With tariff threats continuing to linger, some Saskatchewan travellers are vacationing in Canada, instead of the United States.

Nikki Standinghorn, a North Battleford resident, has already cancelled a few trips down south.

“With Trump trying to impose the tariffs on us being Canadians with a free trade agreement in place, I thought that’s it. I’m done,” she said. “All I needed was that little push.

“If I can keep my money in Canada, we could help build the Canadian economy.”

It comes at the end of the 30-day pause U.S. President Donald Trump put on broader tariffs set to lift on March 4.

U.S.-based tourism groups are already expressing concern due to losses.

Standinghorn frequently crosses the border for vacations but also for business with her company NeepSee Herbs Teas Traditional Medicine, entering the United States once a month.

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In early February, Standinghorn cancelled her Grand Canyon National Park trip with her granddaughters in Arizona only days before they were supposed to leave.

Instead, her family stayed in Edmonton visiting the water and amusement park at West Edmonton Mall.

Standinghorn said it was frustrating moving vacation plans so suddenly, but re-routing the trip worked out for the better.

“My family, my kids were very hurt when we cancelled the big vacation…” she said. “They enjoy going down there as much as we do, but we could be down there on a holiday and we could get hit hard. It’s not even worth it to chance it.”

Standinghorn and her husband also lost around $400 on plane tickets to Las Vegas, Nevada after they decided to cancel that trip as well.

Her summer vacation plans have shifted as well, looking towards popular Canadian destinations like Niagara Falls and Canada’s Wonderland in Ontario.

In her community, she’s making a more conscious effort to support local and Canadian businesses.

“I’m now buying more Canadian groceries than I ever have in my life,” Standinghorn said.

Standinghorn said Saskatchewan exports many resources like potash, electricity, and meat to the United States, and the threat of tariffs is enough to keep her money away from the American economy.

“As long as Trump is president, I will not go down,” she said.

Rick Zahara, a Prince Albert resident, also diverted his plans to spend a month in Rio Grande Valley in Texas.

While comments from Trump about Canada helped make that decision, Zahara said he was particularly unhappy about a response from Texas Governor Greg Abbott after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Canada would retaliate against tariffs.

Rick and his wife Terry Lynn Zahara visited South Padre Island, Texas. (Rick Zahara)

“Careful Trudeau. The Texas economy is larger than Canada’s. And we are not afraid to use it,” the Republican politician tweeted on Feb. 1.

Zahara said he has travelled to the United States twice a year for the past 40 years, but won’t cross the border for now.

“You have an attitude like that? I’ll spend my money in Canada,” he said.

Zahara and his wife are now planning on spending some of their time in the Maritime provinces or on Vancouver Island.

“My wife has been to neither place before, so we’d like to check out some more of Canada,” he said. “This is a good reason to do it.”

He said he’s happy to see others are diverting their plans away from the United States as well, cancelling vacations to Disney World.

“Why not spend our money in a place that appreciates us?” Zahara said.