Canadians are increasingly visiting the United States again, though some boaters are avoiding their usual holiday crosings. Trade friction and currency devaluation are prompting some residents to keep their spending within Canada during the Labour Day weekend.
The 10.2 per cent July rebound and the 2024 gap
Recent data indicates a recovery in cross-border movement, though the numbers remain volatile. According to Statistics Canada, return trips from the United States in July 2026 saw a 10.2 per cent increase compared to July 2025, marking the fourth straight month of year-over-year growth.
The groth is most visible in road travel, with Canadian residents making approximately 1.9 million return trips from the United States by automobile in July, a 12.8 per cent rise from the previous year. However, these figures mask a deeper decline; the July 2026 automobile numbers were still 28.9 per cent lower than the levels seen in July 2024. similarly, air travel from the United States has dropped 26.8 per cent compared to two years ago.
Why Daniel Fredette is skpping Clayton, N.Y. this Labour Day
At the Prescott marina in Ontario, the macro-economic data clashes with the personal choices of local boaters. Daniel Fredette, a resident of Quebec who docks his boat in Prescott, noted that he typically spent several days in Clayton, N.Y., during the holiday weekend.. This year, however, Fredette and his wife have opted to stay in Canada, citing a desire to "buy Canadian" in response to ongoing trade tensions between the two nations.
This shift in behavior is echoed by Teresa Jansman, the supervisor at the Prescott marina. jansman observed that the St. Lawrence River, once viewed as a "boaters' highway" that connected communities on both sides, no longer feels shared. As the report says, Jansman believes this disconnect is driven entirely by politics and notes that cross-border boating has failed to return to pre-pandemic levels.
The weaker dollar and the cost of visiting Watertown
Beyond political friction, the exchange rate is acting as a significant deterrent for frequent travelers. Cheryl Saunders, a resident of Wexford, reported that her husband has significantly reduced his trips to Ogdensburg and Watertown, N.Y. Saunders explicitly linked this decline to the weaker Canadian dollar, stating that visiting the United States simply costs more money now.
Despite these financial hurdles, some travelers maintain a selective approach to their U.S. visits. While Saunders has cut back on short trips to New York state, she is still planning a journey to North Carolina in October. Similarly, Daniel Fredette intends to visit his condo in the United States this winter , suggesting that long-term property ownership and seasonal needs outweigh the current political climate.
The geopolitical tensions that crashed 2025 travel
A critical piece of the puzzle remains the nature of the "geopolitical tensions" that caused Canadian travel to the United States to drop sharply in 2025. While Statistics Canada uses this period as a baseline for the current rebound, the source does not specify the exact nature of these tensions or the specific trade disputes involved.
Furthermore, the report leaves open the quetsion of what specific "agreement" Daniel Fredette is hoping for to restore normalcy . While the source highlights a growing sentiment of economic nationalism among some boaters,it does not provide the perspective of U.S. business owners in towns like Clayton or Watertown who rely on Canadian tourism.
Comments 0