‘It’s deeply offensive’: Windsor snowbirds reconsider U.S. travel over new rule

Canadian Snowbirds are caught in a new U.S. travel rule. CTV Windsor’s Travis Fortnum explains

Windsor snowbirds who spend their winters in the U.S. may be facing new obstacles when crossing the border, thanks to a rule introduced by U.S. President Donald Trump requiring long-term visitors to register with immigration.

Under the executive order called Protecting the American People Against Invasion, anyone aged 14 or older who stays in the U.S. for more than 30 days will have to register as an “alien.”

The policy, which does not apply to air travellers, has left many Canadians questioning their place in a country they once felt welcomed in.

For Windsor retiree Mark McCondach, who has spent the last three winters in Savannah, Georgia, the change is the latest blow in what he sees as a deteriorating relationship between Canada and the U.S.

“Unfortunately, the policies of the U.S. government have really soured us on being in the U.S.,” said McCondach. “They’re no longer a friend. They’re no longer a neighbour. They’re no longer an ally.”

McCondach is cutting his trip short this year, saying he’s not comfortable spending his money there.

He says locals he encounters seem largely unaware of the growing tensions between the two countries.

“When we explain to people that we’re leaving and we’re leaving early, they look at me like I’ve got two heads,” he said. “I’ve had a couple of people sort of whisper, ‘I’m sorry,’ a little bit embarrassed about what’s going on with their government.”

Apologetic Americans are also approaching Amherstburg resident Vilma Zambito, who has been wintering with her family in Naples, Florida, for more than a decade.

“I always have the Canadian flag on my luggage and on my backpack, and a couple approached me and said, ‘We just want to say that we’re really sorry,’” Zambito recalls.

“From there to restaurants in downtown Naples, when people know that I’m Canadian, they’re like, ‘Oh, I’m so embarrassed. I regret voting for him,’ and so on,” she said.

Zambito says her family has weighed the possibility of selling their Florida property and travelling elsewhere should the situation escalate to an extreme.

For now, she encourages Canadians not to take their frustrations out on all our neighbours.

“All it takes is one. And we know who that is,” she said. “Don’t take it out on the people. This is what he wants. He likes this aggravation and turmoil.”

Buffalo-based immigration lawyer Rosanna Berardi says the Protecting the American People Against Invasion rule marks a major shift in how the U.S. treats Canadian visitors.

“I’ve been doing this for 28 years, and in all of those 28 years, if a memo like this came out prior to this year, there would be a carve-out saying this applies to everyone in the whole world but Canada,” she said.

The Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP) is advising travellers to stay informed and prepare for the potential impact of the rule.

While exact requirements remain unclear, it’s possible Canadians will only have to register their address and travel plans online.

Failure to comply, however, could result in civil or criminal penalties.

Zambito says that while she’s upset about the situation, her family will continue to support the people they’ve come to know in Naples, with plans to return to Amherstburg later this month.

“It’s not the people,” she said. “Everyone has been amazing and nice and kind.”

Zambito says the new rule is “petty,” but she’s willing to put up with it, “You know, it’s a little bit of paperwork, but I know that, you know, this is just how the world is going.”

McCondach says he won’t return to Savannah next winter, “The only thing I can control right now in this world that seems really out of sync and out of control is how and where I can spend my dollars. And unfortunately, it’s not going to be in the U.S.”