It started from a viral TikTok, now thousands of Americans have signed on to visit Nanaimo this spring.
Called Nanaimo Infusion, the tourism campaign came after Nanaimo TikToker Tod Maffin said he noticed Americans supporting Canadians boycotting American products amid U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to place tariffs on Canadian products.
"I made a video that basically said, 'Hey, if you guys actually want to support our economy, why don't we pick a weekend in April and you guys can all come up,'" Maffin explained. "And honestly I sort of thought, maybe we would get half a dozen people up from Seattle and my wife and I would take them out for coffee or something."
Taking a break to do the dishes, he looked at his phone to see over a hundred replies from Americans. Accepting that the possible interest was there, Maffin opened up a web form, for an e-mail list, to see who was serious.
Two thousand people signed up within 72 hours from states that included New Jersey, Florida, Colorado 鈥� and even outside the continent in the case of Australia.
"I called the city and [Tourism Nanaimo] and said, 'I'm not really sure what to do with this, I'm not an event planner. I'm just a nobody from Harewood.' They gave me some really good suggestions and I picked a weekend."
There are no special events, Maffin noted, just tourists spending their money at local establishments like hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues.
"The main part I think for the mid-Island is they're going to be spending American dollars, which I think we really need right now."
The date is set for April 25-27.
For locals who want to support the initiative, Maffin said they can join the Nanaimo Infusion Discord at , where they can 'adopt an American' by matching with an American family and showing the visitors the sights for the weekend.
"People in Nanaimo are already, through this Discord, making plans and they're already connecting," he said. "I think it's great. I don't think any Canadian has a beef with the average rank-and-file American. We don't like the president, but I don't think we have a beef with the residents of America."
Even after the weekend in late April, Maffin anticipates more U.S. families becoming aware of the Island and its potential as a tourism destination.
"A lot of people who can't make it for that particular weekend were saying in the comments, 'I didn't know Vancouver Island existed' 鈥nd they said, 'this has put Vancouver Island on our map and we wanted to support Canada anyway, so we're coming in the summer.'"
