Vancouver immigration lawyer Ryan Rosenberg says he鈥檚 been getting so many inquiries from disaffected U.S. voters that he set up a website to address their concerns.
It鈥檚 called 鈥淭rumpugees.ca鈥� and asks visitors on the home page: 鈥淭ired of Trump? Thinking about sa国际传媒? We can help.鈥�
Rosenberg 鈥� a managing partner at Larlee Rosenberg, Barristers & Solicitors 鈥� says he and his colleagues are sensing a spike in immigration interest from a broad swath of U.S. residents disappointed by Donald Trump鈥檚 election win Tuesday.
Immigration lawyer Meghan Felt says she鈥檚 hearing the same thing from her office in Newfoundland. In Toronto, Royal LePage president Phil Soper says online searches of Canadian properties spiked in the months leading up to the vote.
Maryland geologist Jackson Speary says he鈥檚 felt disillusioned with politics for 鈥渁 very long time,鈥� and is considering job or educational opportunities in sa国际传媒.
The 22-year-old says he's worried Trump鈥檚 environmental and economic policies will hinder his work, much of which involves ensuring compliance to federal environmental rules. He wonders if his career would be more stable in sa国际传媒.
鈥淚t's a very scary time to be my age and try to continue my career. Especially when you know political turmoil is so topsy-turvy,鈥� Speary says from Stevensville, Md., where he works.
"I feel as though there's a lot more job security for me in sa国际传媒, and potentially a lot more job security for me anywhere else," he says, noting he's also considering a move to New Zealand, where he has professional contacts.
Grand proclamations to move to sa国际传媒 are nothing new, says Rosenberg, who recalls similar promises after George W. Bush's second election from "mostly blue state Americans who wanted out." Rosenberg dubbed those would-be Canadians "Bushugees."
But this time, he says the demographics of the disaffected seem broader in scope, encompassing wealthy Americans, ethnic minorities and Democrats disappointed by the loss of Kamala Harris.
Felt doesn't have a targeted website like Rosenberg nor is she doing focused promotion, but she says word-of-mouth chatter led five Americans to reach out in the past few days. That's a jump from maybe one a week.
One client who had mused on moving to sa国际传媒 two months ago emailed after the vote.
"They're moving forward, like, immediately," Felt says from St. John鈥檚, N.L.
More often than not, Americans are curious about sa国际传媒's urban centres and don't ask about political differences between provinces or countries, she says.
"sa国际传媒 is sa国际传媒. I've heard of Americans refer to sa国际传媒 as like a really large Massachusetts."
Speary says he's heard sa国际传媒 has capped the number of foreign students permitted but that likely won't dissuade him from pursuing grad school north of the border.
"It is going to be harder, but I think I would be willing to try."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
Cassandra Szklarski, The Canadian Press
