Amid political tensions, he invited Americans to visit his B.C. town. 2,000 said they'll show up

Tod Maffin says he was at home one night when he had an idea.

Amid all the talk of tariff threats and annexation, he posted a video to TikTok asking Americans to visit his hometown of Nanaimo, B.C., as a sign of support for their neighbours to the north.

"I thought maybe half a dozen or so would show up and my wife and I would take them out for dinner or lunch or whatever," Maffin said.

Maffin is a digital marketer, business journalist, and a former radio host and producer, including at CBC.

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Nanaimo man uses TikTok to invite U.S. visitors north of the border

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A call for Americans who are fed-up with tariff threats and rehtoric about making Canada a 51st state to visit Nanaimo is gaining traction online. As Liam Britten reports, the city and the local man behind the call are hoping for a big turnout.

Interest in the idea grew quickly among his TikTok followers, he said. He set up an online form for Americans who said they were seriously interested in visiting the city on Vancouver Island.

"We're past 2,000 people now," he said. 

He says he doesn't expect all of them to actually visit. 

"This is the internet. No one shows up at all when they say they're going to," he said. 

Still, the prospect of even a small percentage of those people coming to Nanaimo is good news, says the city's mayor, who hopes the idea catches on in other communities across the country.

"Canada is a welcoming country, Canadians are good people. They don't deserve the treatment from the White House and I think many Americans very much disagree with their president," Leonard Krog said.

"So this is an opportunity to build a stronger relationship between our peoples and ignore the political leadership, or lack of it, in Washington."

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U.S. woman who frequents B.C. says human connection needed amidst tariff turmoil

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CBC’s On The Coast heard from an American listener who lives just south of the B.C. border in Bellingham, Wash., on the importance of approaching international relations on a "personal" level. Suzanne Wheeler said she comes to Vancouver every Wednesday to listen to live music at Frankie's Jazz Club.

A spokesperson for Tourism Nanaimo commended Maffin for highlighting the city "as an inclusive and safe destination."

"Although it is still early days and things have moved quickly, it's clear that people are serious about coming," the spokesperson said.

Right now, the plan is to have Americans visit from April 25 to 27. Maffin's goal is to get about 200 people to actually come to Nanaimo.

So what will visitors do in The Harbour City?

Maffin says plans could include a self-guided tour dedicated to the Nanaimo bar, the popular confection featuring a chocolatey coconut crust, yellow custard and chocolate.

He hopes his invite sends a message to those beneath the 49th parallel.

"I just want the Americans to know that we don't hate the individual rank-and-file people living their lives in America and that we're still friends," he said. "And we're really glad that they're willing to come up and put a little bit of their money into our economy."