Inside the picturesque American hamlet on the front line of Trump’s war on Canada where friendships are being torn apart [Video]

19:49 EDT 06 Apr 2025, updated 19:50 EDT 06 Apr 2025

Residents of a charming Alaskan town have been losing friendships and suffering business losses after Donald Trump imposed hefty import taxes and threatened Canada’s sovereignty. 

Skagway, a former Gold Rush city situated on the Alaskan Panhandle in the state’s southeast portion, is home to just over 1,200 residents. 

Its economy is heavily driven by tourism and Canadians are the most prominent group of visitors, accounting for about a fifth of local sales during Skagway’s peak tourism season from June to August. 

The historically rich area has long maintained close ties with Canada‘s Yukon Territory, which is just over the region’s Skagway-Fraser Border Crossing. 

The South Klondike Highway connects Skagway with Whitehorse, the capital of the northwest Canadian territory, allowing for strong personal and economic bonds between Alaska and Canada. 

Each year, Alaska exports $600 million in goods across the border into Canada, according to the Office of the US …