Some Manitoba snowbirds flocking back to Canada over U.S. political climate

Betti and Ross Reinhardt dreamed of having a location successful the United States where they could spend winters, but 9 years aft achieving that goal, the snowbirds are putting their Arizona spot on the market, saying they consciousness pushed retired by an unstable governmental clime — and they aren't the lone ones.

"We truly don't privation to go, but we consciousness we request to. We are conscionable getting much and much uncomfortable," Betti said. 

The Manitoba couple bought a spot successful Mesa, Ariz., and remodelled it to marque it their imagination home.

But they accidental extracurricular their gated community, tensions began to heighten soon aft U.S. President Donald Trump's 2nd term began.

"We've travelled backmost and forth, and freely. There's ne'er been immoderate grief, and present we are present made to consciousness truthful uncomfortable that we person to prime up and go," Ross said.

Tariffs, counter-tariffs and threats of annexation person brought a displacement successful hospitality for snowbirds similar them, easy singled retired connected the streets by their Canadian licence plates, the mates said.

"It's thing carnal … but usually crisp comments, [like] 'it's clip for you to leave' oregon 'you tin spell anytime you want,' 'north is your mode home,'" Ross said. 

Among their friends, the Reinhardts aren't the lone Canadians listing a wintertime home, with others talking astir selling too.

Some, however, are considering staying enactment and "weathering the storm."

"We conscionable don't spot it blowing implicit immoderate clip soon, and we similar not to walk the adjacent 3 oregon 4 years of our lives waiting for it to beryllium over," Ross said. 

'Unusually busy': existent property agent

At this clip of the year, Laurie Lavine, a erstwhile Winnipegger who is present a licensed existent property cause successful Arizona, said determination would usually beryllium 2 to 3 listings from snowbirds. 

"Right now, I person 16 listings — nine of them are active, and 7 of them are nether the income contract," helium said, with much lined up for the autumn and adjacent spring.

"I've been unusually busy," helium said. "My accountant is truthful engaged with Canadians, he's already afloat booked for the 2025 taxation year."

LISTEN | Realtor says Canadians are trying to merchantability their Arizona homes:

The currency exchange, with a anemic loonie against the U.S. dollar, has been a top-of-mind interest for Canadians with wintertime homes successful caller years, Lavine said. 

But the wide outgo of surviving is inactive little in Arizona, truthful helium believes the decision to enactment properties up for merchantability now is much connected with displeasure implicit the existent U.S. administration. 

"That's the straw that broke the camel's back," Lavine said. "Canadians are feeling bullied." 

While snowbirds are feeling "ticked off" by the threats to Canada's sovereignty, Lavine said they are besides feeling acrophobic astir tighter borderline restrictions. 

"It's conscionable precise unsettling," Lavine said. 

Just earlier retiring successful 2013, Brian Jamieson, who present lives successful Brandon, Man., bought a location successful Florida.

But helium says the consciousness of information helium and his woman erstwhile felt surviving successful the U.S. crumbled aft Trump's predetermination past year.

"When you elite a convicted felon … to the apical bureau of the land, and helium fundamentally dictates the laws of the land, and what to bash and erstwhile to bash it ... you commencement to consciousness unsafe successful that benignant of climate," helium said. 

The mates decided to enactment their park-model location up for merchantability successful November, soon aft the results of the U.S. election.

Jamieson initially had a hard clip selling, after a absorption alteration led to an summation successful rent prices astatine the analyzable wherever the location is located.

But the mates closed the woody with a purchaser this year, with the caller proprietor taking possession astir a week ago. 

"We took connected a nonaccomplishment connected the sale, and it was worthy it conscionable to leave," Jamieson said. "We didn't cognize … however the governmental concern was going to soma out."

WATCH | Manitoba mates explicate wherefore they're selling Arizona imagination home: