Angry Canadians Are Hunting Down Illegal U.S. Visitors, Says Report
SORRY ABOUT THIS
Reuters / Christinne Muschi
Furious Canadians are tracking down and reporting American visitors who they suspect have crossed the northern border illegally, according to a report from The New York Times. Canada is usually the second most popular tourist destination for Americans, but the border was closed to tourists in March as the coronavirus pandemic took hold. However, some Americans are still trying to get into Canada—and the locals aren’t happy about it. The number of coronavirus infections in Canada is a fraction of that of the U.S., and Canadians want to ensure that doesn’t increase. One Alaskan who was reported by concerned citizens who spotted his license plates was said by the owner of the hotel where he stayed to be a “challenging fellow” who thought “this whole pandemic was a farce.” Residents on Vancouver Island are monitoring boat traffic to see who turns off their identification transponder, and assuming any vessel that goes dark is trespassing and should be reported. In fact, there have been so many reports of intimidation by Canadians toward people with U.S. license plates the premier of British Columbia, John Horgan, had to remind people to “Be Calm. Be Kind” at a July news conference.