Mayors and council members from Langley City and Bellingham planted a tree together on Friday.
A plaque said the tree, on the one-way, was “in recognition of the stewardship of this land by Indigenous Nations for time immemorial and is in tribute to the diverse peoples whose contributions enrich and unite our communities.”
It was the result of an exchange of letters that began when Bellingham wrote Langley City and other border communities after cross-border shopping by Canadians dropped when the U.S. government initiated a trade war, and president Trump talked about annexing Canada.
Bellingham expressed their support “for our peaceful border and long-standing relationship between BC and Washington State,” City Mayor Nathan Pachal said.
Signed by Bellingham city council president Hollie Huthman and Mayor Kim Lund, the letter didn’t directly refer to the trade war between Canada and the U.S., or the drop in traffic across the border by B.C., residents, which is down just over a third at the crossing that connects Aldergrove to Lynden.
In their letter, Bellingham council hoped the “peaceful partnership” between Canada and Bellingham will continue.
“We wish to express our commitment to our connection with the people of Canada and our deep-rooted social, cultural, and economic ties,” the letter said. “It is our hope that our futures will be interwoven with trust and mutual respect, as our histories have been.”
“We believe that a peaceful partnership that has lasted for nearly two centuries can endure. We believe that we can continue to forge a thriving future together as neighbours. Now, as always, we extend our hand in friendship.”
In return, Langley City Council invited Bellingham’s mayor and council to plant a tree on the one-way.
“In this world, many folks are trying to sow discord and malevolence among friends and neighbours,” Pachal said.
“It’s more important than ever to bring back discourse and respect.”
The tree planting was described as “a symbol and acknowledgement of our shared history, friendship between our communities, and hope for a brighter future,” in a note to council about the meeting offer.
A survey by the Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Border Policy Research Institute (BPRI) at Western Washington University has found tariffs and a drop in cross-border traffic from B.C. are hurting small Washington State businesses near the border the most.
Released July 16, “Cross-Border Vulnerabilities in Cascadia: Regional and Business Impacts of Trade and Tariff Policies” by BPRI Research Manager Jennifer Bettis, is based on the response of 58 Whatcom County businesses between May and June.
Whatcom County is located in the northwest corner of the U.S. state, bordering Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley Regional Districts.
Most of the business had 10 or fewer employees.
More than half, 59 per cent, said they relied on Canadian customers and 50 per cent said that the drop in Canadians crossing the border was causing damage to their businesses
“Canadians make up 25-30 per cent of our total customer base. We are missing at least half of those customers,” one unidentified respondent told the survey.
Canadian travellers have cancelled most reservations, another said, while yet another business estimated revenue from Canadian travellers was down 70 per cent.
One respondent told the survey “some Canadians are literally afraid to cross into the US for fear of imprisonment and deportation.”
And another said “most of my customers avoid crossing the border because they fear being sent for secondary inspection and possibly refused entry. Another major reason is the high tariffs imposed on both sides.”