Hundreds of Canadians are crossing the border for the ALCS. Visiting fans are making plenty of noise and giving local businesses a boost.

SEATTLE — Hundreds of Canadians are crossing the border for the ALCS. The Mariners may have home-field advantage, but visiting fans are making plenty of noise and giving local businesses a boost.

They came by ferry, by car, and by the dozens decked out in Blue Jays blue, waving flags, and chanting before they’d even cleared the terminal.

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On Friday afternoon, the Clipper from Victoria docked in Seattle with about 275 passengers, many wearing Toronto jerseys and ready to make themselves heard.

“Let’s go Blue Jays!” shouted Kayden McLellan, one of the youngest fans off the boat, echoing a rally cry that carried all the way up the pier.

Clipper officials say that kind of mid-October rush is unusual and a welcome surprise. It’s shoulder season for tourism, but the arrival of the Canadian Invasion has given the route, and the city, a jolt of energy.

From the waterfront to T-Mobile Park, Canadian fans could be spotted all over even though they were clearly outnumbered by a sea of navy and teal.

“We’re B.C. boys grew up watching Griffey and Ichiro,” said one Canadian Mariners fan. “We don’t fall into this bandwagon stuff with the Jays fans.”

Even some visiting Blue Jays fans admitted the odds were against them in the stands.

“It’s not over yet,” said Nathan Bird, who made the trip from Vancouver. “The last time we came here, we won all three, just saying.”

Still, their presence was undeniable.

“We are going to overwhelm the Mariners fans today with our Blue Jays chants — ‘Go Canada Go!’ and ‘Let’s Go Blue Jays!’” said Chris Barrington-Foote of Victoria, grinning as he adjusted his cap. “We’re going to start that in the first inning and it’s not going to end.”

For Seattle’s tourism industry, the rivalry couldn’t come at a better time. According to Visit Seattle, 1.7 million Canadians visited King County in 2024, accounting for 73 percent of international visitors and just over 4 percent of all visitors.

And they’re not just cheering, they’re spending. Canadian visitors dropped $586 million in Seattle and King County last year, representing more than 60 percent of international visitor spending and nearly 7 percent of total visitor spending.

Downtown hotels, restaurants, and bars near the ballpark are reporting packed tables and record weekends.

The next Clipper ferry from Victoria is already looking just as full: roughly another 275 passengers are expected to arrive in Seattle around 4 p.m. Thursday, just in time for more playoff baseball.

“I’m happy that either team will be in the World Series,” said Bird, smiling. “But I’m cheering for the Blue Jays first.”

No matter which team advances, the Canadian Invasion has already scored one clear winner, Seattle’s economy.