BLAINE — On a dreary Wednesday morning, parking spots along the main stretch of downtown Blaine sat empty. Washington license plates outnumbered British Columbia plates, except at one package store.
At the Peace Arch City Cafe & Bar, less than a mile from the Canadian border, two servers bustled through the nearly empty restaurant. While late February is typically the slow season for the cafe overlooking Blaine’s Drayton Harbor, manager Jason Friend has had to cut back on staffing since business has dropped nearly 30% as tensions grow between the United States and Canada.
“We have seen a huge drop-off in customers over the last couple of months,” Friend said on Feb. 19. “We have noticed the difference and then in talking to our neighbors they have also said the same. Things are off.”
The animus started with a so-called quip in late November when incoming U.S. President Donald Trump told Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that Canada should become the 51st state – and has grown into threats of a trade war if Canada doesn’t control its borders to stem the flow of drugs and migrants.
While 25% tariffs on Canadian imports were set to go into effect on Feb. 3, Trump issued a 30-day pause after Trudeau said his government would name a fentanyl czar and list Mexican cartels as terrorist groups among other steps.
Trudeau said in a news conference Wednesday the country remains focused on making sure tariffs do not go into effect.
Anger and frustration was palpable in interviews with residents and business owners in Blaine and White Rock, B.C., with people on both sides expressing displeasure with Trump’s decisions that have impacted the two border cities sitting within line of sight on Semiahmoo Bay.
Also visible was a sense of pride that Canadians were standing up to the president, from Canadian flags being flown outside homes to bumper stickers and talk of economic boycotts.
At a museum gift shop in White Rock, about 5 miles from the border, staff were putting out extra Canada Day t-shirts, typically packed away during this time of year, as more and more people purchase items displaying Canadian patriotism.
Canadians are also being encouraged to boycott the U.S. In response to the tariff threat, B.C. Premier David Eby asked citizens on Jan. 22 to think carefully about spending money in the U.S., whether that be on vacations, groceries or on gas.
Google trend data shows a spike in searches of “Canada made” and “made in Canada” for the week when the 25% tariffs were supposed to go into effect.
The most common related query? “Orange juice made in Canada.”
When tariffs were announced, state-run liquor stores across B.C. pulled American alcohol, such as Jack Daniels, Jim Beam and Tito’s Vodka.
But a Cascadia Daily News reporting team observed Wednesday that Jack Daniels and Tito’s Vodka were back on shelves at a B.C. Liquor in White Rock.
A Thrifty Food grocery store in White Rock had a sign out front stating “Happy is buying Canadian,” with a reminder for people to look for the Canadian flag label on shelves.
No more buying gas in Blaine
Henry Lazar, 80, lives in south Surrey with his wife and dog Winston. They made the decision last week to stop traveling to Blaine to get gas.
“I would never ever have imagined something like this happening in the USA, but it’s weird,” he said. “It did happen and it’s very difficult to deal with right now.”
Another Surrey resident who did not want to be named told CDN Wednesday that she’s stopped crossing the border because she’s nervous about how she may be treated.
They’re not the only ones staying home. An analysis of southbound car traffic at border crossings during Presidents’ Day weekend found that crossings were down 40%, according to the Fraser Valley Current.
Friend has also noticed the lack of traffic. He uses border crossing wait times each day to get a sense of what business may look like that day.
“For the last month and a half, you just have this flat line, you get a little spike, then this flat line,” he said. “It’s just completely off from the averages that we normally see.”
He’s worried about the upcoming spring and summer busy season with the political rhetoric as well as the weakness of the Canadian dollar.
“A lot of this is for nothing,” Friend said. “Nothing’s going to come out of it. It’s not going to prove anything. Canada is not going to become our 51st state and that talk just upsets people. It doesn’t help what we’re supposed to be, which is friends.”
Canadian pride from dual citizen
As a dual citizen of Canada and the U.S., Barb Van Swearingen, 61, feels a sense of pride that Canadians are taking a stand. That includes buying local and putting the maple leaf flag outside of their houses.
“I feel very protective of Canada,” she said, adding the lack of respect is frustrating. “What bothers me the most is how dare you come in and start trying to take over someone’s country, assuming that everybody would want that.”
Van Swearingen lives in Blaine but has made a commitment to buy items in Canada that are approved to cross the border and take advantage of the services provided there. Her friends who live across the border are also making commitments not to cross.
But, she’s also weary about a full display of Canadian pride, including hanging a flag from her window.
“I was afraid someone would think I was trying to go for the 51st state,” Van Swearingen said. “I don’t want to get that messaging out there. I want the messaging that I’m excited about Canada… I hope they dig in. I hope they stand their ground and they take advantage.”
Annie Todd is CDN’s criminal justice/enterprise reporter; reach her at annietodd@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 130.
