Fort Myers, Fla. (WFLA) – An estimated 60,000 Canadians flock to Florida every year.
If you plan to stay for more than 30 days, some Canadians say they are leaving Florida forever, in the wake of a new Trump administration policy that requires background checks and fingerprints, and seeking a continuing trade war with their north neighbours.
The man attempted to lure a woman with developmental disabilities in the new Port Richie: police
“I’ve lived here for six months. This is my home, but I’m leaving April 2nd,” a Canadian woman named Susan told NBC’s affiliate WBBH. She was not comfortable giving a last name.
Susan was just one Canadian who said he was selling their property without a plan to return to Florida.
“We don’t want to be the 51st state, but we just want to be a very good ally and we want things to come back like they are,” said Janet Rockefeller of Canada.
One family had plans to place permanent roots in Florida, but they focused on other sunny locations like Mexico.
“The truth behind the matter is, if I didn’t pay everything upfront and wasn’t here, if your weather wasn’t that good, I’m going home now,” Canada’s Barry Booking told WBBH.
Presement’s wife, Ruth, wants to make it clear that Canadian citizens still have a lot of love for Americans.
“We love Americans,” Ruth Pressment said. “It’s not a problem, but it’s very unsettling to bring Canada to the president that it doesn’t need anything.”
Some Canadian homeowners are taking a waiting approach, but some business owners said they are worried that this will affect their revenues.
“Not only negatively affect the tourism market, but also negatively affect the entire business, Cole Peacock, who owns a business called Seed and Bean Market, told WBBH. “We need those additional visits to kick that profit margin to another level.”
