XPost: sac.politics, can.scout-guide, can.politics
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Girl Guides of Canada has cancelled all trips to the United
States until further notice because it fears problems at the
border.

The announcement comes days before President Donald Trump's new
US travel ban comes into effect on Thursday.

In a statement, the group said the "ability of all our members
to equally enter this country is currently uncertain".

The suspension includes short trips and all travel through US
airports.

The group has also scrapped a planned summer camping trip to
California in favour of an alternate destination.

Sarah Kiriliuk, national manager of marketing and communications
for the Girl Guides of Canada, said the decision was "absolutely
not" political but instead an operational decision made over a
"general uncertainty" around Canada-US border travel.

"Girl Guides is a microcosm of Canada," she said.

"We're diverse, we're multicultural. I don't want to speak to
any one girl or situation, our main priority was making sure our
girls who had been planning trips for up to a year sometimes
weren't going to be turned away at the border because of one or
more situations that were beyond their control."

Under the new US travel ban, all nationals from Syria, Iran,
Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen will not be permitted to enter
the US or be issued an immigrant or non-immigrant visa for a 90-
day period.

Ms Kiriliuk could not say how many members might have been
barred from US entry under the new temporary ban, if any.

A 'Trump slump' for tourism?
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"At Girl Guides of Canada, we know our members value the safe,
inclusive and accepting space that Guiding provides," the
statement said.

It went on: "These values are reflected in all we do, including
the Girl Guide travel experiences we offer girls and women. This
was a very difficult decision to make. We hope that members will
appreciate this reflects our commitment to inclusivity and equal
opportunities for all girls and women."

The Girl Guides of Canada has chapters in provinces across the
country and some 70,000 members and 20,000 adult female
volunteers.

Any US visits already booked and paid for by regional Girl Guide
chapters prior to the announcement would be reviewed on a "case-
by-case" basis, Ms Kiriliuk said.

Some Canadian schools have also cancelled trips to the US in the
wake of the travel ban, including the Greater Essex County
District School Board in south-western Ontario.

According to figures provided by US Customs and Border
Protection, the number of people being denied entry at the
Canada-US boundary is roughly in line with previous years.

But confusion during the first few days of the previous US
travel ban, which was eventually blocked by a federal court, and
a series of recent incidents of Canadians going public with
their experience being turned away at the border has led to
questions over whether people are facing tougher measures when
entering the US.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39261789

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