Last year’s inaugural event started on a whim, as part of a viral video Maffin and his wife Jocelyn made in the winter.
They invited Americans at the height of trade war and tariff tensions between Canada and the United States governments, with hundreds responding.
An offshoot of the movement was a boost in local healthcare worker recruitment, with dozens of people who became aware of Nanaimo and Vancouver Island through the Infusion now working in various communities.
“Last year, it was very much a response, a negative response to Trump and the tariffs, and this year, the vibe just feels like less about that and feels a lot more like pride in Canada, pride in Vancouver Island, and in B.C.”
An open house at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital is being offered on Friday, while a host of community events, from plays and concerts to markets and Indigenous walks, are all benefiting from an influx of visitors.
Aside from Saturday’s family photo, at 12 p.m., nothing official is planned by Maffin.
“That’s really the only thing that we’ve put on there or asked the visitors to come to, because we don’t want to pack them with official Infusion events. We want them in our community, eating in our restaurants, shopping in our stores, and staying in our campgrounds.”
Local residents are also signing up to adopt visitors for the weekend and show them around.
A table will be set up at the park to further connect locals with tourists.
Maffin advised anyone planning to come to Maffeo Sutton Park on Saturday for the Infusion to not bring their car to the park due to a lack of available parking.
Transit, ride sharing, cabs, or active transportation are all recommended options.
— with files from Joanne Dee, 102.3 The Wave
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