President’s Message Karen Huestis CSA President Even though summer seems to have finally arrived, it won’t be long until it’s time to head to our winter homes. One of the best ways to prepare for the winter travel season is by attending one of our annual Snowbird Lifestyle Presentations. This September, we will be travelling to five provinces and we will begin our tour in Calgary, Alberta. You can also find us in Sherwood Park, Alberta; Vernon, British Columbia; Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and Brandon, Manitoba. We are not done yet. We will conclude our shows in Ontario with stops in Nepean, Belleville, Oshawa and St. Catharines. As always, admission is free for all of the shows. As well as great musical entertainment, these shows are a great source of information for veteran and novice snowbirds alike, so please feel free to invite your friends. Specific dates and times can be found elsewhere in this issue. I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to renew their CSAmembership. If you have yet to renew your membership, it is as simple as mailing us your renewal notice, visiting our website (www.snowbirds.org) or picking up the phone and calling us at the office. Thanks also to everyone who made a donation to our Special Action Fund. Every dollar donated to the fund is held in a separate account and is used exclusively to fund our government advocacy efforts. Often, we find ourselves having to react quickly to emerging issues on the political front and that is where the Special Action Fund is an invaluable resource. If you have yet to make a donation, no amount is too small and this fund sincerely plays an integral role in allowing us to continue to advocate on your behalf. I would like to remind you about the Snowbird Currency Exchange Program. Lifetime members have no monthly transfer fee, while annual paying members are only charged $2 per monthly transfer. Information about current and past monthly rates can be viewed on our website. If you are not already signed up for this exceptional program, you can contact the CSA office for further information. Please note that this program is not subject to the new user fees that some U.S. states and financial institutions are imposing on “international money transfers,” an added financial savings to you. Some of you may recall a media story this winter about a Canadian woman arrested in Georgia, apparently for driving in the state with a Canadian driver’s licence. The 27-yearold woman was driving through Georgia to Tennessee, where she had apparently just graduated from college. Initial reports seemed to suggest that a Canadian driver’s licence was not acceptable for legally driving in the state of Georgia. This would obviously cause many of our members concern, as many of you drive through Georgia on the way to your winter homes in Florida. We have confirmed that the state of Georgia does in fact allow you to drive on a Canadian license if you are in the United States for tourism or business purposes. The issue appears to be the arresting officer’s statement that the woman was living in Tennessee and did not have a valid Tennessee driver’s licence. Unlike tourists or people visiting on business, international individuals (i.e.: foreign students) who are not in Tennessee for tourism or business purposes are required to apply for a temporary driver’s licence within 30 days. Obviously, the officer was under the impression that this woman was residing in Tennessee on what would presumably be a student visa and did not have the temporary state licence required by law. The bottom line is that if you are a snowbird driving through Georgia, you are still permitted to drive under your valid Canadian driver’s licence as you always have. No doubt many of you have concerns about what effect the current state of the CanadaU.S. political relationship might have on our retiree visa initiative. I can assure you that congressional representatives, particularly from snowbird and border communities, are very aware of the positive economic impact which we have on their states and districts. The association has built a strong rapport with congressional representatives on both sides of the aisle in Washington, D.C. We represent the interests and express the concerns of our members in meetings on Capitol Hill directly with lawmakers and their staff members. We believe that this is the most direct and effective way to address these matters. We have a busy summer ahead of us on this file and I will, of course, keep you updated on the situation. 10 | www.snowbirds.org
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