GTA Lawyer Accused in $3M Real Estate Fraud; Trust Funds Missing

In a stark sign of how the business environment has shifted post-pandemic, John Slipp, a 59-year-old operator of Woodstock Duty Free Shop Inc., announced the closure of his family-run store this month. The shop, located at the Woodstock border crossing in Ontario, had been in operation for over 40 years—originally established by Slipp’s father.

Slipp described the closure not only as a business failure but as a deeply personal loss. “I’m grieving the loss of my business, but also accepting the reality that the business environment has changed,” he said.

At its peak in the early 2000s, the store had 15 employees. By 2020, it was down to two. While Slipp hoped for a rebound, 2024 brought more setbacks—including declining traffic driven by renewed political tensions between Canada and the U.S.

Since Donald Trump’s return to the White House in early 2025, Canadian visits to the U.S. have continued to slide. Fear of cross-border harassment, trade uncertainty, and economic fallout have all weighed on travel. According to Statistics Canada, July 2025 marked the seventh consecutive month of year-over-year declines in return trips by car—down 36.9%.

The Frontier Duty Free Association described the situation as a “full-blown crisis,” with national duty-free sales dropping 40–50% since January and remote crossings seeing declines of up to 80%.