Are Americans worried about crossing into Canada (and returning) for Caribana 2025

 WHERE HAVE ALL THE AMERICANS GONE - NEWS STORY BY STEPHEN WEIR WHERE HAVE ALL THE AMERICANS GONE??

BY STEPHEN Stephen Weir

Thea. Jackson had a terrific opening last week. Standing amongst her section at the Epic Carnival costume launch she is happy, signing up new revellers who want to Walk De Road this coming August 2nd Toronto Carib bean Carnival Grand Parade.. Still with only 5 months to go the consumer designer/creator is troubled. Where are the Americans. Jackson has long been making costumes for Americans, be it here in Toronto, or at carnival festivals in Miami, Atlanta and in the Caribbean. ”Epic has really got it all together, they are a fantastic (Mas Band). We assume that many American and people from the Caribbean will come to Mas Camp to order new carnivals and jump up with us on the road. But it is a guessing game,will our fans in the USA be concerned about border crossing into Canada and then returning back to the USbecause of the Trump issues While specific data on the number of American visitors to Toronto during the August 1st long weekend isn't publicly available, we can infer from broader statistics.

Thea. Jackson had a terrific opening last week.

Kneeling amongst her section at the Epic Carnival costume launch she is happy, signing up new revellers who want to Walk De Road this coming August

In August 2024, U.S. residents made approximately 3.2 million trips to Canada, with 63.3% arriving by automobile and 20.6% by air. Notably, the busiest air entry points included Toronto Pearson International Airport and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, indicating a significant influx of U.S. visitors to Toronto during that period. Statistics Canada+1Statistics Canada+1 Additionally, over the long weekend preceding the Civic Holiday on August 5, 2024, there was a noticeable increase in U.S. resident arrivals by air, averaging 26,600 per day from August 1 to August 3. This represents a 39.9% increase compared to the daily average for the rest of the month. Statistics Canada According to toronto tourism the number of Americans now visting the city is already down by 5% Thank you again for this opportunity. Sharing a quote below for your story. “While geopolitical and financial uncertainty is causing many travellers to wait to finalize their plans, summer visitation to Toronto is pacing slightly ahead of last year. As of March, U.S. visitation is down by 5 per cent this year as compared to last. There's room to rebound in the busier summer months as the first quarter is typically the slowest for tourism. Toronto’s strength as an inclusive and welcoming destination remains a key draw—especially as we prepare to welcome visitors for signature events like Caribbean Carnival.”Kelly Jackson, VP of Destination Development at Destination Toronto TOLD THE CARIBBEAN CAMERA Over a dozen U.S. citizens have been swept up in the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration, according to interviews, court records and news reports. THE CAMERA SPOKE TO A DETROIT BASED BRITISH IMMIGRANT WHO IS NOW A a naturLIZED AMERICAN AND OFTEN COMES TO CANADA FOR WEEKEND VACATIONS. IS A LEGAL VISITOR AND SAYS WHEN HE RETURNS FROM VISITING CANADA HE HAS NO ISSES WITH AMERICAN CUSTOM OFFICERS BECAUSE HE CARRIES ALL THE DOCUMATION TO PROVE HE IS AMERICAN. HE IS COMMING TO CARNIVAL AND HOPES OTHER AMERICANS WILL DO THE SAME (AND RECCOMENDS THEY BRING PROOF OF THEIR CITIZENSHIP) WHY THE CONCERN ABOUT CROSSING THE BORDER BY AMERICANS, A RECENT FRONT PAGE STORY IN THE WASHINGTON POST Recent investigative reports have highlighted troubling instances where Black immigrants in the U.S. have faced questionable detentions and deportations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), often under dubious or discriminatory circumstances THE CARNIVAL NATIONZ MAS BAND HAS LONG WELCOMED VISITING BLACK AMERICANS INTO THE RANKS OF THEIR WINNIG BAND. JUST CAME OFF A VERY SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH. AND BRYCE AQUITON (BAND FOUNDER) REPORTING LARGEINTEREST IN JOINING UP. AS FOR THE NUMBER OF AMERICANS, BRYC SAYS THEY ARE MORE THAN WELCOME TO JOINCARNIVAL NATIONZ THIS YEAR. HE SAYS THEY ARE REALLY TAKING A WAIT AND SEE IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT AMERICANS COMING TO TORONTO BUYING A COSTUME AND GOING DOWN THE ROAD. THE FFESTIVAL ATTRACT A LOT PICTURE SNAPPING VISITORS FROM SOUTH OF THE. BORDER The first Grand Parade took place in 1967 and was attended by a crowd of about 50,000 people, while today, an estimated 1.3 million (MANY OOF THEM BLACK AMERICAN TOURISTS take in the parade. The Caribana festival draws in an approximate 2 million people total during its three-week span in Toronto. THE CARIBBEAN CAMERA REASCHED OUT TO THE FESTIVAL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE TO ASK ABOUT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES FACING THE CARNIVAL THIS YEAR (MOSTLY ABOUT FINANCING. AS USUAL THEY DID NOT RESPOND TOStephen Weir's CARIBBAN CAMERA MEDIA QUESTIONS. but they never do answer!!!

Thea Jackson's Section at the Epic launch last week/ In yours gone by Thea has supplied many costume's to visiting Americans, Will that happen this year?