A group of New Jersey residents had a simple message for their neighbors to the north this week: Canada, we still love you. The group gathered along Interstate 78 in Hunterdon County with signs showing their support for Canadians, but after photos of the gesture reached Reddit, some Canadians made it clear that warm words alone aren’t enough to convince them to start visiting the United States again.
According to the Reddit poster, the display was organized by a group that regularly gathers along Interstate 78 in Hunterdon County, with around 35 to 50 people typically taking part. This time, their message was directed toward Canadians, offering a show of friendship at a time when relations between the United States and its northern neighbor have become increasingly strained.
The gesture comes at a particularly tense time for the two neighboring countries. According to the Associated Press, Canadian travel to the United States remains well below previous levels amid an ongoing trade dispute and strained political relations, with tourism organizations across the U.S. now actively trying to encourage Canadians to return. Canadian residents made around 25% fewer return border crossings from the U.S. in 2025 compared with the previous year, and the decline has continued into 2026.
Canadian Neighbors Respond to New Jersey’s Message
The display of solidarity received plenty of attention on Reddit, including from Canadians who stumbled across the New Jersey post. While many appreciated the show of support, others made it clear that repairing their relationship with the United States may take more than a friendly message from across the border.
One local praised the people behind the display, writing, “Love this group…especially the guy that is up there solo sometimes. 💙 Recently their message said, ‘Be More Like Dolly Parton.’” The original poster responded that the Dolly Parton message had appeared around two weeks earlier and explained that participants are often spread across both sides of the highway.
Others focused on the group’s message to Canada. “Canada will always have our love,” one person wrote, while another commenter who said they regularly travel north added, “I try to go to Canada a few times a year. It sickens me this orange [expletive] is doing this to them.”
The post even reached Canadians themselves. One commenter identified themselves as Canadian and wrote, “Back atcha, and thanks for the support. :) Most of us know Americans we like or love,” before noting their own connections to New Jersey and thanking the group for the reminder.
Not everyone was ready to put the tensions aside, however. Another Canadian commenter thanked the New Jersey residents for reaching out but added, “We’re still not visiting though until you guys deal with the orange problem for good.”
Whatever happens between the two countries in the months ahead, the New Jersey group appears determined to remind Canadians that strained political relations do not necessarily reflect how ordinary Americans feel about their neighbors. Judging by the Canadians who found their way into the discussion, that message certainly made it across the border.
