Have a question for any Canadian out there. I was recently almost knocked down by a horde of Canandian shoppers virtually running into Wal-Mart near my hometown in NW PA. My mother, sister and I couldn't figure out why in the world 4 bus loads of Canadian women (all women, about 30-50 years old) would come to this small PA town to shop at Wal-Mart. Can anyone explain?

Hi Ann, I don't have an answer for you but just wanted to say that you might get more responses if you post your question on the Canada forum.

BTW, that must have been a sight to see, lol! Maybe they were having a BIG sale!

Well since the Hockey season was recently cancelled, Wal Mart decided to clearance their sticks, pucks, pads, helmets and such. This type of sale never happens in Canada. Canadian Mothers know that you can never have enough hockey gear for their budding superstars.

Der ya have it, eh?

Canadians frequently come by the busload to shop in the states, at least in border towns like Buffalo. Ontario has a 15% sales tax on virtually everything, so they save at least 7 % just by going across the NY/Ontario border. Add another 8.25% by going down the road to NW PA and avoiding the NY sales tax. The Canandia dollar is stronger than it has been in the past also.

And that is exactly what I don't get--Erie is an hour north of this town, so I'm still wondering why they'd come that far south. There's absolutely no other reason to come to Meadville, PA.

When I chaperoned a school trip to Quebec, we stopped at a small shopping plaza in the middle of nowhere for a bathroom/snack/stretch break.

Maybe they were on the way, or back, from somewhere further south, and this was a bonus stop.

Stupid question: Does Canada have Walmarts, or similar huge discount "warehouses?" I remember taking all visitors to one in Germany (can't remember the name) about 20 years ago, before Walmarts were a common phenomena in the US. Our guests got a kick out of the one stop shopping at great prices in the huge warehouse!

We have Walmarts everywhere in Canada, I really don't know why that particular busload of people went nutty there......
Bathroom stop maybe ?

We see lots of Manitoba plates where I live. Even with a population of 675,000+ folks from Winnipeg and southern Manitoba flock to North Dakota and Minnesota for shopping and long weekends. With the exchange rate closer, they're back and they've brought their money. In years past I can remember seeing Canadians at the grocery stores on Sundays loading up on soda and things like water softener salt.

Cigarettes! At least that's why they used to come to the US.
After currency conversion, Wal-Marts in Canada have almost identical prices as US Wal-Marts.

Is Meadville along the route to Grove City? Friends from Ontario always stop at Grove City when driving to NYC/DC areas and have even taken bus tours just to shop at the outlets there.

If your WalMart is handy to that route, that might explain the tour buses.