Many snowbirds flocking south despite Canadian government's plea to seniors to stay home

In anticipation of the winter travel season, the federal government has issued an online alert to seniors, advisingthem to stay home during the COVID-19 pandemic. But the message may have little impact on snowbirds who are determined to escape the Canadian winter.

"I don't like winter. I hate it.I hate it with a passion," said Steve MacDonald, 77, of Oakville, Ont. He has already booked a Dec. 3 flight to Florida for himself and his wife, so they can spend the winter at their rented condo in Key Largo.

"Down there, [I'll] be swimming outside and taking in some sun, getting some vitamin D and cheap rum."

He'll be in good company.The Canadian Snowbird Association estimatesthataround30 per cent of its more than 110,000 members will head to the United States Sunbelt this winter despite soaring COVID-19 casesin the countryand the Canada-U.S. land border closure to non-essential traffic.

Snowbirdscan still fly to the U.S.and ship their cars. But the Canadian governmentis asking seniorsto think twice before leaving the country, because their age makes them more susceptible to falling seriously ill from COVID-19.

"If you are an older traveller, you may be immunocompromisedor have chronic medical conditions, such as obesity, that put you at risk,"states the government in its online alert targeting seniors.

"By choosing to stay home in Canada, you can help protect yourself, your family and those at risk in our communities."

Global Affairs Canada posted the alert on its web page for "older travellers" on Oct. 1 one day after CBC News published a story about Canadian snowbirds heading southdespite the pandemic.

Since the start of the pandemic in March, Global Affairs has advised all Canadians to avoid non-essential travelabroad. It saysthat the government may have limited capacity to help people who choose to leave Canadaand then encounter problems.

SnowbirdMacDonald never saw the government's alert fortravelling seniors, and when he learned about it from CBC News this week, he wasn't swayed.

He said that he and his wife are healthy and plan to take all necessary precautions while in Florida, including sticking to their gated community.

"We're just gonna keep doing the same thing that we do here, like you don't go out with a bunch of people and party and have people over for dinner," said MacDonald. "I feel as safe going down there as I am here."

He also said that he has the added protection of COVID-19 medical insurance, in case something does go wrong. Insurance providers recently reinstated the coverage after suspending it for several months during the pandemic.

'Bucking the odds'

In September, travel insurance brokerMartin Firestone told CBC Newsthat less than 10 per cent of his 1,000 snowbird clients were heading south. But now, he said, close to one third are packing their bags.

"They're bucking the odds. They're basically saying, 'I'm going to go down there, and I'm going to be fine.'"

WATCH | Some Canadian snowbirds heading south despite pandemic:

Some snowbirds headed south despite pandemic

4 years ago

Duration 2:07

The COVID-19 pandemic isnt stopping some Canadian snowbirds from heading to the U.S. this winter, but theyre not all willing to take the risk for warmer weather.

Firestone said that travelling abroad right now does carry risks, such as hospitals at a U.S. destination becoming overloaded with COVID-19 patients.

He believes the government should make seniors aware of the risksbut saysthat an online post won't have much impact.

"It's on that website that very few seniors, I'm sure, check," said Firestone with Travel Secure in Toronto. "It should have been a campaign that appeared in newsprint and media and magazines."

CBC News asked Global Affairs if it was planning an ad campaign;it didn't respond.

Can't be swayed?

Even snowbirds wholearn of the government's advicemay still choose to ignore it, convinced that the benefits of going south this winter outweigh the risks.

Although CBC News informed snowbirdSandy Munro of the postedalert for travelling seniors, he's still bent on going to his condo in Naples, Fla., in February. Hesaid he'd go soonerbut has family commitments keeping him in Canada for the next couple of months.

"I can only take so much of winter," said Munro, 69, of Aurora, Ont.

He argues he'll actually be safer in Florida, because he suffers from a lung disorder, which worsens in cold weather.

"As long as I'm in my little gated community being COVID-aware then I think my life expectancy would be longer by spending the winter down there," he said.

However, Munro admits that if he did contract COVID-19, he'd probably wind up with a severe case due to his lung condition.

But that still doesn't deter the snowbird who said he'll take his chancesso that he can enjoy a warm and active winter.

"I'm 69. I still can do things like golf, tennis, pickleball," Munro said. "I don't know how long I'm gonna be able to do that for, so I'm gonna grab it."