\u201cDo me a favor \u2014 if you\u2019re ever in the summer and you want to go to a beautiful destination, go visit our friends in Michigan, because they\u2019re going to come up and visit us as well,\u201d Ford said.<\/p>\n
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The comment drew criticism from Canadians, including journalist Brianna Bell, who, in an opinion piece for the Toronto Star<\/a>, questioned Ford\u2019s recommendation to cross into what she called \u201ca politically volatile country.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy should the people of Ontario cross the border, bear the burden of the terrible exchange rate, and risk their personal safety, especially as \u2018a favour\u2019 to Doug Ford and the State of Michigan?\u201d Bell wrote.\u00a0<\/p>\n Canadian travel to Michigan plummets<\/p>\n The local criticism points to strained relationships between the US and Canada, which worsened last year as President Donald Trump imposed steep tariffs on goods from Canada and described it as \u201cthe 51st state.\u201d<\/p>\n Related:<\/p>\n Those tensions have already affected travel, prompting many Canadians to cancel trips south of the border.\u00a0<\/p>\n In 2025, Michigan saw passenger vehicle visits from Canada drop to about 8.3 million from nearly 10 million in 2024, a nearly 16% decline, according to the latest U.S. Customs and Border Protection data<\/a>.<\/p>\n Some Canadian officials have urged residents to shop local and \u201cnot travel to the US<\/a>,\u201d including former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who last summer encouraged Canadians to \u201cchoose Canada\u201d for their vacations.<\/p>\n The travel boycott movement has big implications for Michigan\u2019s tourism industry. In 2024, Canadian tourism generated over $20 million in spending, according to the US Travel Association<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Travel declines from Canada have been seen at most major Michigan crossings.\u00a0<\/p>\n As of September, land traffic was down for the year by about 87,000 at the International Bridge in Sault Ste. Marie<\/a> during the 2025 fiscal year compared to the previous fiscal year. Crossings are down by roughly 400,000 at the Ambassador Bridge and Detroit-Windsor Tunnel<\/a> in Detroit. Crossings were also down by 14,700 at the Algonac ferry to Walpole Island<\/a>. Border crossings at the Blue Water Bridge i<\/a>n Port Huron remained about the same.\u00a0<\/p>\n Whitmer: \u2018We love Canadians\u2019<\/p>\n Canada is Michigan\u2019s largest international trade partner<\/a>. The state imports more than $50 billion in Canadian goods annually, including crude oil, natural gas and raw materials, and exports $27.5 billion in goods.<\/p>\n Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, has been critical of Trump\u2019s tariff policies and this week argued his cavalier attitude toward Canada has led the country to negotiate an auto-related trade deal with China<\/a> instead of the US.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s our ally, our best friend, negotiating with an adversary on a number of fronts,\u201d she said. \u201cI mean, this is a very damaging policy.\u201d<\/p>\n Whitmer added: \u201cI\u2019m a Michigander, and we love Canadians.\u201d<\/p>\n Speaking later at the same forum, Trump reportedly argued that Canada \u201cgets a lot of freebies<\/a>\u201d from the US and \u201cshould be grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCanada lives because of the United States,\u201d he said. \u201cRemember that.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n Republish This Story<\/p>\n
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