Steve Wright, the general manager of Jay Peak Resort in Vermont, has publicly reassured Canadian tourists that they are welcome despite an intensifying U.S.-Canada trade war. The resort, located just south of the border,is attempting to mitigate a decline in visitors from the north.
The 400,000-skier dependency on Canadian visitors
Jay Peak Resort operates in a precarious geographic and economic position, situated less than 10 kilometres south of the Canada-U.S. border. according to the report, the resort typically attracts between 300,000 and 400,000 skiers annually, with Canadians making up nearly half of that total. This reliance makes the business highly sensitive to the political climate in Ottawa and Washington.
This vulnerability is a common theme for border-town economies, where local prosperity is often decoupled from national policy and instead tied to the ease of cross-border movement. For families in Quebec and Ontario, Jay Peak Resort is a primary weekend destination, but that flow of traffic is now being throttled by diplomatic friction rather than travel distance.
Why the trade war is making phones "grow silent" at Jay Peak
While Jay Peak Resort has experienced epic snowfall this season, the geopolitical environment has dampened enthusiasm. Steve Wright noted in an interview with 580 CFRA's Kristy Cameron that the intensification of the trade war has caused the resort's phones to "grow silent again," suggesting a hesitation among Canadians to book trips to the U.S.
In a recent social media post, Steve Wright emphasized that the border should not be viewed as a line of division, stating, "The border has always been a line we've crossed. It never felt like a line between us." By framing the issue as one of friendship and neighborhood rather than commerce, the resort is attempting to insulate its brand from the broader hostility of the trade dispute.
Record attendance last winter despite the Canadian dip
Interestingly, the financial impact of declining Canadian visitation has been masked by environmental factors. As reported by 580 CFRA, Jay Peak Resort actually posted record attendance last winter. This surge was driven by exceptionally favorable snow conditions that attracted enough other visitors to offset the dip in numbers from Canada.
Steve Wright has been careful to clarify that his outreach to Canadians is not a desperate financial plea . he argued that if the motivation were purely monetary, the resort would have issued "a 50 per cent off coupon" rather than a message of solidarity . This distinction suggests that the resort is playing a long game, prioritizing the relationship with the Canadian market over short-term occupancy spikes.
Steve Wright's appeal to Congress and the winter uncertainty
Beyond public relations, Steve Wright has taken the matter to the political arena, advocating to Congress about how the trade war damages border communities on both sides of the line. He has called for "cooler heads to prevail" to prevent long-term economic scarring in the region.
However, several critical details remain unclear. The report does not specify which particular trade tariffs or policies are most deterring Canadian travelers, nor does it provide data on exactly how much the Canadian visitor count has dropped this season. Furthermore, while Steve Wright mentioned that visitation began to rise again this summer, it remains to be seen if that momentum can survive the peak winter months. The resort expects the booking data over the next month to reveal the true impact of the current tensions.
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