Canada snowbirds rethink travel to US as new rules cause concern

Many Canadian snowbirds are reconsidering their winter travel to the United States this year as new border requirements, political rhetoric and economic pressures create uncertainty.

Snowbirds, typically retirees who spend the winter months in warmer US destinations, have faced confusion over updated entry rules.

The Canadian Snowbird Association has warned that its members have reported inconsistent experiences at land border crossings.

New measures introduced last April include fingerprinting for visitors staying longer than 30 days and a requirement to carry an alien registration form.

A weaker Canadian dollar and comments made by Donald Trump have also influenced travel decisions.

According to a Snowbird Advisor poll, there has been a 15 per cent drop in Canadians planning to head south this winter.

CTV News spoke with snowbirds who shared mixed feelings about travelling to the US. Some said they are uncomfortable spending money there, while others say the United States remains their preferred winter destination.

Paul MacLellan of Oshawa, Ontario,, said he and his wife Debbie will avoid the U.S. this winter after spending the last eight years in Myrtle Beach.

“Last year it was very stressful being down there,” he told CTV News. “Maybe it was just us, but we felt like we weren’t welcome.”

MacLellan said registering with the US government last year added to the stress.

“We had to do that online and it wasn’t easy to do and we weren’t sure whether we’d done it right,” he said.

“So then we’re always feeling maybe there’s a threat we were going to get pulled over because of our licence plate and we maybe we didn’t have the paperwork. It was just an uneasy feeling.”

Instead, the couple is considering Portugal and more travel within Canada.

“We got this extra money we’re not using, so we might as well spend it up here,” he said.