Fewer Canadians, Germans, Swiss & Aussies Visited Copper Valley This Summer. Americans Hold The Line

Canada/US Rift  

September 12, 2026 

The number of visitors who have come into the Greater Copper Valley Chamber's Glennallen Visitor Information Center this summer has been holding pretty much steady with last year, says Dale Oja, who works there. Dale has kept records of visitation numbers for years. He hasn't totally compiled and broken down the numbers of individual countries represented yet for 2026, he said. But he does have a strong overview.  

This year, unlike prior years, most visitors are Americans, he said. Dale told the Journal, "We're getting less Europeans for sure. Our foreigners -- all foreigners -- are down, but our overall numbers are close to normal. Typically there's a strong showing of Canadians, Germans, Swiss and Australians. That hasn't happened this summer of 2026. 

Copper Valley Visitor Center (Journal archive photo) 

Compared to last year, he said, there are "less Canadians, less Asians, less anything. But Americans are keeping up the totals."

He explained that the number of Canadians coming over the border began dropping last year, in 2025. "This year is less." 

Fortunately, the total of American visitors making up the slack hasn't tanked, too. These aren't gangbuster numbers, "but they're good; they're not bad." 

Visitors pose in Chamber Visitor Center. (Journal archives) 

Dale said he was concerned about fuel costs. "The price of diesel just went up. It's now $6.75 here. I've seen $5.60 for gas..." 

Unfortunately, he said, there's a personal issue going on with the Canadians which is keeping visitation down: 

"What Canadians I (do) get are mad! Some say they're not going to tell their friends they came here! Their friends -- other Canadians -- put pressure on them not to go to America."