Canada's Cape Breton Island offered as refuge from President Trump

The website welcomes Americans who might flee a Trump-led America. The website welcomes Americans who might flee a Trump-led America. Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Canada's Cape Breton Island offered as refuge from President Trump 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

The mountains-meet-sea ambiance of Cape Breton Island, with national park views out over the Gulf of St. Lawrence, is strikingly similar to our Chuckanut Mountain only with frequent moose sightings and minke and pilot whales rather than orcas.

The island in eastern Canada is also a Trump-free zone.

A Sydney, Nova Scotia,born radio DJ named Rob Calabrese has launched a website suggesting the island as a refuge for Americans should Donald Trump win their country's 2016 presidential election.

Atlantic Canada is perpetually in need of entrepreneurial newcomers. Calabrese's website pitches:

"Welcome. Hi Americans! Donald Trump may become the president of your country! If that happens, and you decide to get the hell out of there, might I suggest moving to Cape Breton Island."

The website has collected more than 10,000 hits. It redirects visitors to the island's tourist website run by Destination Cape Breton. The website is getting lots of traffic, a spokesperson emailed seattlepi.com

Of course, Canada has escape routes closer to home, such as British Columbia's Sunshine Coast and the lovely country around Courtnay and Comox on Vancouver Island. Expatriates might have to dodge one of the huge liquid natural gas terminals dreamed of by B.C. Premier Christie Clark.

Calabrese did not expect to have a hit on his hands. "I'm in disbelief: I wish everyone from Cape Breton could read (messages) because they really make you proud of living here," he told Canada's National Post.

The website takes several digs at The Donald.

Trump is not popular in Canada. Civic leaders in Vancouver and Toronto have sought to get his name removed from hotels under construction, in protest at Trump's pledge that he would bar Muslims from entering the United States.

"Muslim people can roam freely," he writes, "And the only 'walls' are holding up the roofs of our extremely affordable houses.

"This is not a joke. You belong here with us on Cape Breton Island, where health care is free, you know your neighbors and they look out for you, and nobody has a handgun."

Expatriates from liberal enclaves in the U.S. would feel politically at home. The Liberal Party of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau swept all 28 House of Commons seats in Atlantic Canada when the Great White North voted last October.

Of course, Calabrese has received a bit of blowback. A grammar-challenged correspondent called "habsfanrocket" wrote on CTV.

"I would move to the States in a heartbeat if Trump were president. i am ashamed of Canada since they elected Trudeau! He and his father destroyed what was once the best country in the world.

"Now it's diluted to a point of no return. A well fare (sic) country that bend's (sic) over to all to accommodate everyone but Canadians."