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FILE – In this May 17, 2020, file photo, a bird flies from the U.S. into Canada over the Peace Arch in Peace Arch Historical State Park on the border with Canada, where people can walk freely between the two countries at an otherwise closed border, in Blaine, Wash.<\/p>\n
Elaine Thompson \/ AP<\/p>\n
It\u2019s clear that Blaine, Washington, is a border town.<\/p>\n
American and Canadian flags are flown here. It\u2019s also the home of the Peace Arch<\/a> \u2014 an over 65-foot-tall white arch that sits on the U.S.-Canada border.<\/p>\n The local high school\u2019s mascot is the \u201cBorderite.\u201d And it\u2019s not unusual to see cars with British Columbia plates driving around.<\/p>\n Blaine is about a two-hour drive north of Seattle. It\u2019s also about 30 miles south of Vancouver, British Columbia.<\/p>\n But things are changing in this small town of about 6,000 people. Earlier this year, President Donald Trump made comments about making Canada the \u201c51st state.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n The Trump administration has also imposed tariffs on Canada<\/a>. In response, Canada hit back with tariffs of its own<\/a>. There\u2019s also the \u201cBuy Canadian\u201d movement<\/a>, which encourages Canadians to buy items made in the country.<\/p>\n \u201cCanadians, on the American political spectrum, would be mostly left of center. So your Republican presidents are less popular here than your Democratic presidents,\u201d said Bradley Miller, an associate professor in the University of British Columbia\u2019s history department. \u201cBut nothing in my lifetime parallels the vitriol that Canadians now feel about Donald Trump.\u201d<\/p>\n U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported<\/a> that in June 2025, about a third fewer travelers by car and on foot made trips into Blaine than in June 2024. <\/p>\n Statistics Canada reported similar data.<\/a> In June 2025, about a third fewer Canadians returned from the U.S. by car than in June 2024.\u201c<\/p>\n The cultural impact on Canadians\u2019 views of spending any money in the United States, that\u2019s been, I think actually that\u2019s been unprecedented,\u201d Miller said.<\/p>\n FILE – A car heads into the U.S. from Canada in Peace Arch State Historical Park toward the Peace Arch border crossing Monday, Nov. 8, 2021, in Blaine, Wash.<\/p>\n Elaine Thompson \/ AP<\/p>\n \u2018What did Blaine do to you?\u2019<\/p>\n Don Enos, the vice president of the Blaine Chamber of Commerce, said there\u2019s been pushback from Canadians who\u2019ve seen community advertisements promoting Blaine within Canada.<\/p>\n \u201cI always ask them, \u2018Well, what did Blaine have to do? What did Blaine do to you?\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cWe have done nothing but be \u2026 the kicking stone, if you will, in many cases because we\u2019re right on the border.\u201d<\/p>\n The Chamber and local businesses have made a shift. They\u2019re promoting the town and their businesses in other communities in Washington.<\/p>\n \u201cSo Seattle, Everett, Bellingham, Mount Vernon, Anacortes \u2014 all these other communities around us \u2014 they can be tourists too for the day or the week or the weekend, just as much as our Canadian neighbors,\u201d Enos said.<\/p>\n Related:<\/strong> Wheat, coffee, computer chips: How Trump\u2019s tariffs could affect Oregon\u2019s key exports and imports<\/a><\/p>\n Fueling up<\/p>\n In the middle of downtown Blaine is Hill\u2019s Chevron, a gas station and gift shop. Inside, there are all the typical finds: soda, candy and chips.<\/p>\n A wall-mounted, talking moose head guards the shop\u2019s beer cave.<\/p>\n \u201cWelcome to Hill\u2019s Chevron!\u201d it bellows to people perusing the store.<\/p>\n Hill\u2019s also has lots of Blaine trinkets and souvenirs available. Like kitchen towels and sweatshirts emblazoned with Blaine\u2019s ZIP code, magnets of the Peace Arch and oven mitts with a map of the area printed on them.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s always been a big joke that you can come here and get a case of beer and a wedding gift all in the same place, you know? And to fill up your tank of gas,\u201d said Amber Ingersoll, the purchaser for Hill\u2019s Chevron.<\/p>\n Mike Hill has owned this place for more than 30 years, and he said his gas sales are down by about 60%, compared to last year.<\/p>\n Hill thinks the drop is due, in part, to Canadians paying fewer taxes on their fuel than they used to. It used to be a better deal to buy gas in the States. <\/p>\n Inside Hill\u2019s Chevron, a talking moose head is mounted above the beer cave.<\/p>\n Jenna Dennison \/ NWPB<\/p>\n So for Hill\u2019s, it was big business. For instance, British Columbia\u2019s consumer carbon tax was repealed<\/a> in April. Getting rid of that tax takes about 17 cents per liter<\/a> off of fuel costs.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, gas prices in Washington are going up. As of July 1, the state\u2019s gas tax increased<\/a> by six cents per gallon.<\/p>\n But other than the drop in fuel sales, he said the store is doing great. Even if there have been fewer tourists.<\/p>\n \u201cI mean, we love the Canadians. We\u2019ve never had an issue, and we got a president that\u2019s really stirring up the world, which I honestly believe it\u2019s all gonna turn out for the best,\u201d Hill said. \u201cBut there\u2019s gonna be turmoil for a while, and it\u2019s who can hang in there.\u201d<\/p>\n Related:<\/strong> Washington state\u2019s blueberry industry faces an icy outlook as US-Canada tariff talks unfold<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018We don\u2019t even know the guy\u2019<\/p>\n Just down the street from Hill\u2019s is Paso del Norte, a local Mexican restaurant.<\/p>\n Miguel Ramos has owned the restaurant for 30 years. Inside of Paso del Norte, the walls are painted a bright shade of orange, and have colorful murals throughout the space.<\/p>\n Ramos is looking at a display case full of Polaroid pictures in the front entrance of the restaurant. Many of those have people pictured wearing sombreros. When people celebrate their birthday at Paso del Norte, they\u2019ll get their picture taken wearing a sombrero.<\/p>\n Handwritten cards and thank you notes fill the display case, too. He said he\u2019s had great customers over the years \u2014 and built relationships with the people who\u2019ve dined there.<\/p>\n Ramos also said that he has loyal Canadian customers. But some customers have concerns they\u2019ve shared with him.<\/p>\n \u201cSome customers, you know, they have said, you know, \u2018We don\u2019t come down because of the new rules, regulations and we don\u2019t like somebody,\u2019\u201d Ramos said. \u201cI tell them, \u2018We\u2019re not even related, you know. Like we don\u2019t even know the guy.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Ramos said that the business has seen about a 30% decrease in business. He\u2019s worried about his employees, too.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve been here 30 years, I think we had a pretty good run,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd I guess tell my wife, you know, it is what it is. You can do so much, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n Jenna Dennison is a reporter with <\/b>Northwest Public Broadcasting<\/b><\/a>.<\/b> This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.<\/p>\n![\"FILE](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/NHSXKLUKQNBOVC4GPPCBWFNGPE.jpg\")
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