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After U.S. President Donald Trump took office, sociologist Travers — who goes by one name — nixed plans to attend the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport (NASSS) conference in Seattle this November.
Travers, a full professor at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C., is the president-elect of NASSS. But as a trans person, they are wary of visiting the U.S. at a time when the Trump administration is rolling back transgender rights.
" will not be travelling to the United States right now because it feels very dangerous to do so," said Travers.
The sociologist soon realized the problem was widespread: around 40 per cent of NASSS's 600 members live in Canada, and many of them reported that they, too, don't want to attend the Seattle conference, due to reports of increased scrutiny at the U.S. border, Trump's trade war and his threats to annex Canada.
"If we were to just hold the conference in Seattle, it would be significantly under-attended," Travers said of the annual conference, where NASSS members meet and share research about the sociological study of sport.
Because breaking the venue contract would be cost-prohibitive, organizers came up with a creative solution: a pared-down Seattle conference with an added tandem one in Vancouver. Some events will take place in both locations, courtesy video conferencing.
...
Sociologist and NASSS member Nathan Kalman-Lamb also had an incident at U.S. customs in March at Montreal's Trudeau International Airport, as he was heading to a conference at the University of South Carolina.
The Canadian citizen says despite having all the right documentation, including an invite from the university, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer interrogated him and searched his possessions, including his phone and wallet.
"To be subject to these kind of searches and the seemingly arbitrary authority of basically police officers in these spaces, it's beyond disquieting. It's frightening," said Kalman-Lamb, an assistant professor at the University of New Brunswick.
Three hours later, he said, the officer allowed him to continue on his journey. However, by this time, he had missed his flight and had to rebook it. He said no one explained why he had been targeted, so he's sworn off U.S. travel for now.
"I don't even think for research I can justify at this point taking the risk of travelling to the United States," he said.
...
Work and Family Researchers Network (WFRN), an association for work-family scholars, announced in April it has relocated its 2026 biennial conference from Boston to Montreal. The conference typically attracts 400 to 500 participants from across the globe.
...
The International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans is relocating its 2025 Canadian Employee Benefits Conference from San Diego to Canada. The exact dates and location have yet to be announced.
The foundation, an educational organization for the employee benefits industry, declined to comment. But a statement posted online last month suggests the conference, which hosts up to 1,500 Canadians, was moved due to travel concerns.
"We believe this move will enable us to educate more attendees," said the statement.
If conference organizers continue to choose Canada over U.S. venues, it could be a boon for the Canadian economy, says non-profit conference manager Heather Dow, who has organized more than 100 conferences and events since 2012.
"If you think of a conference that might have 300 participants, that could be a boost into the economy of $500,000-$600,000 or more," said Dow, senior manager with Events & Management Plus in Kingston, Ont.
Travers, a full professor at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C., is the president-elect of NASSS. But as a trans person, they are wary of visiting the U.S. at a time when the Trump administration is rolling back transgender rights.
" will not be travelling to the United States right now because it feels very dangerous to do so," said Travers.
The sociologist soon realized the problem was widespread: around 40 per cent of NASSS's 600 members live in Canada, and many of them reported that they, too, don't want to attend the Seattle conference, due to reports of increased scrutiny at the U.S. border, Trump's trade war and his threats to annex Canada.
"If we were to just hold the conference in Seattle, it would be significantly under-attended," Travers said of the annual conference, where NASSS members meet and share research about the sociological study of sport.
Because breaking the venue contract would be cost-prohibitive, organizers came up with a creative solution: a pared-down Seattle conference with an added tandem one in Vancouver. Some events will take place in both locations, courtesy video conferencing.
...
Sociologist and NASSS member Nathan Kalman-Lamb also had an incident at U.S. customs in March at Montreal's Trudeau International Airport, as he was heading to a conference at the University of South Carolina.
The Canadian citizen says despite having all the right documentation, including an invite from the university, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer interrogated him and searched his possessions, including his phone and wallet.
"To be subject to these kind of searches and the seemingly arbitrary authority of basically police officers in these spaces, it's beyond disquieting. It's frightening," said Kalman-Lamb, an assistant professor at the University of New Brunswick.
Three hours later, he said, the officer allowed him to continue on his journey. However, by this time, he had missed his flight and had to rebook it. He said no one explained why he had been targeted, so he's sworn off U.S. travel for now.
"I don't even think for research I can justify at this point taking the risk of travelling to the United States," he said.
...
Work and Family Researchers Network (WFRN), an association for work-family scholars, announced in April it has relocated its 2026 biennial conference from Boston to Montreal. The conference typically attracts 400 to 500 participants from across the globe.
...
The International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans is relocating its 2025 Canadian Employee Benefits Conference from San Diego to Canada. The exact dates and location have yet to be announced.
The foundation, an educational organization for the employee benefits industry, declined to comment. But a statement posted online last month suggests the conference, which hosts up to 1,500 Canadians, was moved due to travel concerns.
"We believe this move will enable us to educate more attendees," said the statement.
If conference organizers continue to choose Canada over U.S. venues, it could be a boon for the Canadian economy, says non-profit conference manager Heather Dow, who has organized more than 100 conferences and events since 2012.
"If you think of a conference that might have 300 participants, that could be a boost into the economy of $500,000-$600,000 or more," said Dow, senior manager with Events & Management Plus in Kingston, Ont.
