Seattle Businesses Take Canadian Cash at Par to Lure Sports Fans

(Bloomberg) -- For years, the arrival of the Toronto Blue Jays in Seattle brought a familiar sight: tens of thousands of exuberant Canadians pouring into the city to cheer on their baseball team.

But this year, the crowds are noticeably thinner. Keen to bring them back, Seattle is offering a hefty discount — in hopes of reviving the cross-border tradition during three games this weekend against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park.

Iconic seafood restaurant Ivar’s, the Space Needle and the Pacific Science Center are among dozens of businesses participating in the promotion that accepts Canadian dollars at par all weekend. With the loonie worth just 72 US cents, that effectively gives visitors who show Canadian IDs about a 30% discount.

“I think we’re earning goodwill, which is what we wanted with our neighbors,” said Ivar’s founder Bob Donegan. “But we are not seeing a significant increase in the number of Blue Jay fans coming to Seattle.”

Tourism officials on both sides of the US-Canada border report that travel has dropped sharply amid political tension and economic uncertainty. 

At the Blaine, Washington border crossing, a major entry point for visitors from Vancouver, southbound traffic was down 52% in the first two weeks of April compared to the same period last year. Passenger arrivals on Air Canada flights to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport dropped 66% in March.

Canadians cite frustration with US policies under President Donald Trump, including tariffs and his repeated suggestion that Canada should become the 51st state. Other travelers are avoiding the US over fears of being detained or pulled aside for questioning at the border as part the Trump administration’s broader immigration crackdown.

Adding to the strain, Canada’s economy is showing signs of weakness. Data released Friday showed the country’s unemployment rate rose to 6.9% in April amid job losses in sectors like manufacturing that are affected by tariffs.

The program to accept Canadian currency, called “Open Arms for Our Canadian Friends,” includes hotels, restaurants and even transportation companies like FRS Clipper, a boat service between Seattle and Victoria, British Columbia, as well as Kenmore Air, which runs seaplanes between Washington State and western Canada. 

Even with this effort, Donegan said that looking out his window on Friday, he saw none of the signature Blue Jays ballcaps that typically swarm the area during the games. 

He also said interviews that he’s done with Vancouver radio stations in recent days have been followed by angry fans calling in to say they’re “so irritated with the American policy that they are not coming to town.”

“They’re typically delightfully goofy Canadians who are so friendly and so focused,” Donegan said. “So we miss them a lot.”

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