World leaders have developed different ways of dealing with Donald Trump’s provocative presidential campaign: Mexican media companies severed ties with the GOP frontrunner; British lawmakers threatened to ban him from the UK; and several called him out for his proposed ban on Muslims entering the US.
But Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada, is turning the negative reaction to Trump into a positive: by using the increasing likelihood that he may become the next Republican presidential nominee, and possibly even president, as a marketing campaign to get Americans to move there.
“Cape Breton If Donald Trump Wins,” reads the website for the island, which is offering a refuge and life change for Americans disgruntled by the 2016 election and concerned about the implications of a Trump presidency. Residents can enjoy scenic drives, Celtic music festivals, and a diversity of languages. Also, ”women can get abortions, Muslim people can roam freely, and the only ‘walls’ are holding up the roofs of our extremely affordable houses.” A team of volunteers is standing by to field questions about moving, it adds.
Sure, there’s rampant unemployment (just last year, the Canadian province lost 5,200 jobs), and a declining population, but that’s where you come in. Cape Breton needs more people, and—they argue—Americans will need a new place to live if the Donald takes office. The people behind the website probably foresaw that some might not take their offer seriously—but they insist: this is for real.
When an unpopular candidate stands to be elected, grumpy US citizens often fantasize about moving across the border to their northern neighbor. If hockey tournaments and sailing competitions are your cup of tea, Cape Breton is ready to make that dream a reality.