ELLICOTTVILLE, N.Y. — The quaint village of Ellicottville, about 50 miles south of the Canadian border, is known for its ski slopes, restaurants and shops.
But given the recent trade situation and President Donald Trump’s renaming of Lake Ontario to Lake America, border communities are heading into the upcoming seasons with more questions than answers.
Harry Henderson lives in a suburb of Toronto, and for almost 40 years, he’s had a second home in Ellicottville, at HoliMont, a development which is about 45% Canadian.
He says the ongoing tensions between the two nations has been hard to watch.
“We have family who live in the U.S. as well. And having a property here, it’s made it more difficult for us because many Canadians won’t come down, won’t cross the border anymore,” said Henderson.
Leaders with the Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce say they are gearing up for a number of events over the next several weeks.
Canadian visitors make up a great deal of the local economy, especially during ski season, yet the low exchange rate has had an impact on spending.
Barb Pump, the executive director of the Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce, says there has been a decline in the number of Canadians attending events, and is working to reassure merchants that Canadian visitors are welcome.
“We want them to know that we still appreciate them coming down, and they can come down anytime and everyone here will welcome them with open arms,” said Pump.
In New York state, travel from Canada dropped 21% in 2025, or 3.6 million visitors, according to the New York State Comptroller’s Office. Canadian spending also took a big dip last year, falling 26%, or $480 million.
Trey Clauss, owner of The City Garage, are already preparing for the upcoming winter season.
He, too, says the low exchange rate is a top concern, more so than trade tensions, as to whether visitors will make the trip and spend as freely as they have in the past.
“They might not end up making a big purchase while they’re in town. You can’t justify spending more money just because you’re trying to support a smaller community that you ski in,” said Clauss.
Still, residents like Henderson are hopeful conditions will improve, and not permanently damage the relationship between the two countries.
“It’s going to take some time, regardless of how the trade issues are resolved. It’s going to be a long journey to repair those relationships and some of them may never recover,” said Henderson.
Earlier this month, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul extended a special invitation to Canadian travelers by announcing the launch of a “New York Loves Canada” promotion on the I Love New York website.