Amid a trade war and annexation threats, a resort city in California is showing love to Canadian visitors and its snowbird community.
Earlier this month, the city of Palm Springs, Calif., put up dozens of red banners that feature a heart with a Canadian flag nestled between the words “Palm Springs” and “Canada.”
“It was a way for us to say to the Canadians that are part of our community for so many months out of the year that we appreciate them, and in light of all the unrest and emotional up-and-down, that we’re standing by their side,” Palm Springs Mayor Ron deHarte told CTVNews.ca. “We will continue to support one another and welcome them back next season, or whenever the dust settles, and everybody feels comfortable to come back.”
Known for its resorts, hot springs and desert surroundings, Palm Springs welcomes roughly 300,000 Canadians each year, which is by far the city’s largest group of international visitors. It is also a popular destination for Canadian snowbirds, who own over seven per cent of homes in the valley where Palm Springs is located, according to a 2022 report from the Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau.
DeHarte says the economic impact of Canadian visitors is “significant” and supports nearly 2,000 local jobs in restaurants, shops, hotels and more.
“Three hundred thousand Canadians are part of our community every year, and they’ve become friends – they truly are our neighbours,” he said. “They live here just as often as many of the regular U.S. folks that live in Palm Springs, or they live here as long as many of the second-home U.S. people.”
With support from Palm Springs City Council, 40 red maple leaf banners were draped from downtown lampposts starting April 4, while similar signage also went up at the airport. Citing decreased demand, both WestJet and Flair Airlines recently put an early end to some direct seasonal flights between Canada and Palm Springs.
“Clearly that’s because there’s fewer people sitting on the planes travelling to Palm Springs,” deHarte said. “If this continues into next season, we will feel the pinch and that becomes a very, very real local impact to people who live and work and survive on a tourist economy.”
In addition to tariffs and annexation threats, U.S. President Donald Trump’s second administration has also brought new rules for long-term visitors to the U.S. and increased scrutiny at border crossings. As a result, Canadian visits to the U.S. have started to plumet.
According to March data from Statistics Canada, the number of Canadians returning home by car from the U.S. dropped by nearly 32 per cent compared to March 2024, while the number of return trips by air fell by 13.5 per cent.
DeHarte says many in Palm Springs share his disappointment with the some of the decisions coming out of Washington, D.C. and how Canada is being treated.
“We have to fight hard and strong to make sure that there’s a clear understanding that this is not the way we are, this is not who we are as U.S. citizens,” DeHarte said. “We are going to continue to be that friendly, warm, welcoming, diverse community that Canadians like to be a part of.”
With files from The Canadian Press
