Several conferences relocate north of the border as Canadians refuse to travel to the U.S.

After U.S. President Donald Trump took office, sociologist Travers — who goes by 1 sanction — nixed plans to be the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport (NASSS) league successful Seattle this November. 

Travers, an subordinate prof astatine Simon Fraser University successful Burnaby, B.C., is the president-elect of NASSS. But arsenic a trans person, they are wary of visiting the U.S. astatine a clip erstwhile the Trump medication is rolling backmost transgender rights.

"[I] volition not beryllium travelling to the United States close present due to the fact that it feels precise unsafe to bash so," said Travers.

The sociologist soon realized the occupation was widespread: astir 40 per cent of NASSS's 600 members unrecorded successful Canada, and galore of them reported that they, too, don't privation to be the Seattle conference, owed to reports of accrued scrutiny astatine the U.S. border, Trump's commercialized warfare and his threats to annex Canada.

"If we were to conscionable clasp the league successful Seattle, it would beryllium importantly under-attended," Travers said of the annual league wherever NASSS members conscionable and stock probe astir the sociological study of sport. 

Because breaking the venue declaration would beryllium cost-prohibitive, organizers came up with a originative solution: a pared-down Seattle league with an added tandem 1 successful Vancouver. Some events volition instrumentality spot successful some locations, courtesy video conferencing.

"I person surely heard backmost from galore NASSS members who said, 'Thank you, convey you. I was acrophobic to spell to the United States,'" said Travers.

NASSS isn't unsocial successful changing its league plans since Trump took office. CBC News has identified 3 North American-based organizations that precocious relocated upcoming conferences — either partially oregon afloat — from the U.S. to Canada. In a 4th case, organizers chose Canada, knowing galore of its Canadian participants won't spell to the U.S.

Travel to the U.S. from respective countries has dropped recently, with Canada starring the pack: successful March, the fig of instrumentality trips among Canadians travelling to the U.S. plummeted by 13.5 per cent for aerial travel, and by a whopping 32 per cent for onshore travel.

Professor interrogated astatine U.S. customs

While the debased Canadian dollar has deterred immoderate travellers, the governmental clime successful the U.S. and Trump's hardline crackdown connected migration has fuelled overmuch of the decline. 

"After Trump was voted successful office, I cognize that my members person precise small involvement successful attending a league successful the U.S.," said Dr. Jason Karamchandani, president of the Canadian Association of Pathologists (CAP).

So organizers for a 2026 associated league between CAP and the American Society for Clinical Pathology chose a Montreal venue — even though the American radical has six times much members.

"There person been stories of radical facing challenges entering the United States," said Karamchandani.

Those stories see the 11-day detainment of Canadian Jasmine Mooney successful March. A French idiosyncratic was denied introduction that aforesaid month, due to the fact that U.S. customs officers recovered anti-Trump messages connected his phone, according to the French government. 

Sociologist and NASSS subordinate Nathan Kalman-Lamb besides had an incidental astatine U.S. customs successful March, at Montreal's Trudeau International Airport, arsenic he was heading to a league astatine the University of South Carolina. 

Kalman-Lamb, a Canadian citizen, says contempt having each the close documentation, including an invitation from the university, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) serviceman interrogated him and searched his possessions, including his telephone and wallet. 

"To beryllium taxable to these benignant of searches and the seemingly arbitrary authorization of fundamentally constabulary officers successful these spaces, it's beyond disquieting. It's frightening," said Kalman-Lamb, an adjunct prof astatine the University of New Brunswick.

He says 3 hours later, the serviceman allowed him to proceed connected his journey. However, by this time, helium had missed his formation and had to rebook it. He says nary 1 explained wherefore helium had been targeted, truthful he's sworn disconnected U.S. question for now.

"I don't adjacent deliberation for probe I tin warrant astatine this constituent taking the hazard of travelling to the United States," helium said.

Kalman-Lamb says helium was thrilled erstwhile he learned helium won't miss the upcoming NASSS conference, which helium volition present be successful Vancouver. 

U.S. CBP spokesperson Jessica Turner told CBC News in an email that each travellers are taxable to inspection upon entry. 

She besides said Trump's borderline crackdown is designed to support the state and that "lawful travellers person thing to fearfulness from these measures."

Conferences propulsion the plug connected U.S. venues

Despite CBP's reassurances, immoderate conferences that already booked a U.S. determination person decided to scrap the venues entirely. 

Work and Family Researchers Network (WFRN), an relation for work-family scholars, announced successful April it has relocated its 2026 biennial conference from Boston to Montreal. The conference typically attracts 400 to 500 participants from crossed the globe. 

WATCH | Canadian question to U.S. plummets: 

The relation told CBC News it decided to alteration locations after proceeding from members, including Canadians, who expressed concerns astir travelling to the U.S. 

"This was precise troubling for our planetary organization, with astir 40 per cent of our members residing extracurricular of the United States," said WFRN president Jennifer Hook successful a statement.

The International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans is relocating its 2025 Canadian Employee Benefits Conference from San Diego to Canada. The nonstop dates and determination person yet to beryllium announced. 

The foundation, an acquisition enactment for the worker benefits industry, declined to comment. But a connection posted online past period suggests the conference, which hosts up to 1,500 Canadians, was moved owed to question concerns.

"We judge this determination volition alteration america to amended much attendees," said the statement. 

Non-profit league manager Heather Dow, who has organized much than 100 conferences and events since 2012, says if league organizers proceed to take Canada implicit U.S. venues, it could beryllium a boon for the Canadian economy. 

"If you deliberation of a league that mightiness person 300 participants, that could beryllium a boost into the system of 5 oregon $600,000 oregon more," said Dow, elder manager with Events & Management Plus successful Kingston, Ont. "I deliberation this is simply a large accidental for Canada."