It乌鸦传媒檚 the kind of series that used to spark road trips, fill ferries, and paint Seattle乌鸦传媒檚 T-Mobile Park blue and white 乌鸦传媒� but this year, Blue Jays fans from Victoria are changing course.
Toronto and Seattle are set to clash May 9-11 in their annual American League showdown, but the buzz along the South Island is unusually quiet. What乌鸦传媒檚 long been a summer staple for Canadian baseball fans is now caught in the crossfire of politics, economics and protest.
Last July, the Jays and Mariners played three games at T-Mobile Park, drawing an average attendance of 35,880 乌鸦传媒� more than 4,000 higher than Seattle乌鸦传媒檚 home-game average over the 2024 season. The stadium holds 47,493, and when Toronto comes to town, it乌鸦传媒檚 often treated like a second Canadian home.
This year could look a lot different.
Thousands of tickets remain unsold for all three games, and the signs of a shift are showing well before first pitch. Fewer than 100,000 passenger vehicles crossed from B.C. into Washington in April 乌鸦传媒� less than half of the 200,000 recorded in April 2024, according to transportation authorities on both sides of the border.
For many on the Island, the decision to stay home is about more than just baseball.
乌鸦传媒淲hat hurts the most out of all of this is the fact that this isn乌鸦传媒檛 going to be a year-one pause 乌鸦传媒� it乌鸦传媒檚 not going to change until things are changed,乌鸦传媒� said Jordan Menning, a Victoria resident who made the Seattle trip an annual tradition. 乌鸦传媒淵eah, a couple hundred dollars from my friends and I doesn乌鸦传媒檛 sound like a lot, but if Canadians unify, it will make a difference.乌鸦传媒�
Menning usually travels with a group of close friends. The ferry, hotel, and baseball tradition was rooted in routine and national pride.
乌鸦传媒淣ot that we can乌鸦传媒檛 watch games together at home, or travel to Toronto, but it feels like things shouldn乌鸦传媒檛 have got to this point,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淚 want to go, they want to go, but we know, right now, we can乌鸦传媒檛.乌鸦传媒�
At the heart of the shift is a rocky economic landscape. The Canadian dollar has slipped to just $0.72 USD, which means everything from gas to game-day hot dogs costs more. Despite ticket prices listed as low as $25.50 CAD, the full cost of a cross-border trip adds up fast.
Then there乌鸦传媒檚 the political climate. Recently reimposed tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump have stirred a broader boycott movement among Canadians, with many saying they won乌鸦传媒檛 spend money south of the border until the trade war ends.
According to the U.S. Travel Association, Canada is the United States乌鸦传媒� top source of international visitors. In 2024 alone, Canadians made 20.4 million visits, spending $20.5 billion and supporting 140,000 American jobs. A 10 per cent dip in Canadian travel could mean 2 million fewer visits and $2.1 billion in lost spending.
For some, like longtime Jays supporter Tammy-Lee Colter, the decision wasn乌鸦传媒檛 made lightly. Her family usually alternates between seeing the team in Toronto or Seattle every couple of years. This year was supposed to be Seattle乌鸦传媒檚 turn.
乌鸦传媒淧roximity-wise, it would make sense to cheer for the Mariners,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淏ut being Canadian means being unified in a sense.乌鸦传媒�
Colter says the community of Jays fans that takes over downtown Seattle each year is more than just a travelling fan base 乌鸦传媒� it乌鸦传媒檚 a display of identity.
乌鸦传媒淚t usually leads to big high-fives and cheers as we walk by 乌鸦传媒� a sign of national pride,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e making this decision to not go based on doing what we think is right, for all Canadians.乌鸦传媒�
Not everyone, however, is staying home.
John Langdon has been going to Seattle for as long as he can remember 乌鸦传媒� and that won乌鸦传媒檛 change this year.
乌鸦传媒淚 look forward to this trip every year. We missed it in 2020 because of the pandemic, but that might be the only thing stopping me from going again,乌鸦传媒� Langdon said. 乌鸦传媒淚 understand why some people are against it, but one way or another, things need to stay normal 乌鸦传媒� and for us, it乌鸦传媒檚 going.乌鸦传媒�
Seattle leads the AL West at 22乌鸦传媒�14, while Toronto sits third in the East with a 16乌鸦传媒�20 record. But for many fans, the standings aren乌鸦传媒檛 what乌鸦传媒檚 keeping them away.
For now, baseball remains on the schedule 乌鸦传媒� but for thousands of British Columbians, it乌鸦传媒檒l be watched from a distance, with barbecues and living rooms replacing ballpark bleachers. The cheers will still come 乌鸦传媒� just not from across the border.
