An American couple visiting Canada surprised an entire restaurant by paying for every customer’s meal. This was a generous act they said was meant to show love for Canada and disagreement with U.S. political actions.
The couple, Sarah and Bill, were dining at a local restaurant when they quietly asked staff to put every table’s bill on their tab. Around 50 to 60 people were eating at the time.
Their gesture was a response to a recent executive order signed by President Donald Trump, imposing what he described as “catastrophic tariffs” on Canada, Mexico, and China. The order linked the move to drug trafficking concerns and cited increased fentanyl production and border crossings from Canada. One line read: “Enough fentanyl was seized at the northern border last fiscal year to kill 9.8 million Americans.”
Sarah and Bill said they felt that message didn’t reflect how they felt about Canada or its people.
One diner said: “We were all kind of shocked because that doesn’t happen, because there’s about 50 to 60 people in there.” When others offered to pay their own way or add a tip, the couple said was the least they could do.
The couple explained that they wanted to show support for everyday Canadians and reassure them that not all Americans agreed with the political narrative.
Restaurant co-owner May Hermiz said the entire dining room broke out into cheers when people realized what was happening. “Everyone was cheering. They were cheering them on and they were applauding.”
Hermiz recalled the woman saying: “She hates what the United States is doing to us and she doesn’t support it. And she’s so happy we won the hockey game and it’s a little token of appreciation for Canadians and how much she loves us and how much she loves supporting local.”
