In a CHEK TV news segment, reporter SPEAKER A interviews digital marketer and former CBC radio host Tod Maffin about his viral TikTok invitation for Americans to visit his hometown of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. Maffin explains that thousands of Americans responded positively, and he aims to bring about 200 visitors over a single weekend to give the local economy a noticeable boost. He highlights Nanaimo’s outdoor activities, brew pubs, and the city’s welcoming atmosphere, while noting that his comment section was unexpectedly filled with Americans expressing anti‑U.S. sentiment amid worsening cross‑border relations. The mayor of Nanaimo publicly applauds the effort, and SPEAKER D frames the initiative as an opportunity to strengthen people‑to‑people ties despite political tensions between Canada and the United States.
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Not many Canadians feel like they're in a bit of a battle with Americans right now, but one guy in Nanaimo feels differently.
He's offered an olive branch to Americans to come visit the harbour city, and thousands have already said, "Sure." Hey Americans who support Canadians, I have an idea.
Tod Maffin's idea was not a big one, but it's getting big interest. What if we picked a day in like a month and a half or so where all of you come up here to Vancouver Island?
I'm not kidding.
Maffin really likes his hometown of Nanaimo and wants to share it with American visitors seeking an escape from their country. We have incredible outdoor activities here. We have hiking. We have some of the best brew pubs in the world. And since he posted that video last week—
2,000 of them said that they would come. My personal goal is 10% of that. If 200 people come on a single weekend, that will have a noticeable effect on our city's economy.
Maffin is in digital marketing and a business journalist. And he's a former radio host and producer, including with CBC. Hi, Future Todd here. He makes lots of TikTok videos like how to avoid U.S. products as cross-border relations worsen.
My comment section was filled more with Americans than Canadians, which I wasn't expecting. And almost all of them were saying, yes, boycott our products. We don't like this either.
That's part of what led to his invitation idea.
I thought like maybe half a dozen or so would show up and my wife and I would take them out to dinner or lunch or whatever. In an hour, we had like maybe 100 people that were like, I'll do this. I'm in California. I will come up for this. Nanaimo's mayor is applauding the effort.
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. So this is an opportunity to build a stronger relationship between our peoples and ignore the political leadership or lack of it in Washington.
Maffin's not sure what turnout will materialize but hopes people can enjoy everything Nanaimo has to offer. And some people are coming just for the walking tour of Nanaimo Bars. And from April 25th to 27th, no one is barred from Nanaimo.
