This Washington border county is desperate for Canadians

A few Canadians are still stopping by the Blaine visitor center, said local Chamber of Commerce Secretary Carroll Solomon, but it’s often just to use the public bathroom.

A few yards away one recent Sunday, Trent Arce and Gary Farrow were chatting by the welcome sign at the town entrance that reads “Blaine, Washington, the Peace Arch City,” referring to its 67-foot monument to bilateral concord. The two co-workers at a nearby cold storage facility weren’t too worried about the dearth of Canadians.

Trump “is very wild with the things he says and does,” shrugged Arce, a transplant from Georgia.

“People will get over it,” said Farrow, a Blaine native. “I think it will go away.”

Blaine Mayor Mary Lou Steward has reason to hope they’re right. The town was already feeling pinched from inflation before Trump’s tariff threats ramped up, and she said she now worries “we may have to start dealing with furloughs” due to falling sales tax revenue.

The Canadian boycotters are forcing some Washington state business owners to answer for decision-makers in Washington, D.C.

“One woman wrote to say that while our inn is amazing, our president has offended and disrespected Canadians, so now she can’t bring herself to cross the border,” said Teri Treat, managing partner of The Inn at Lynden. The 35-room property — about 15 miles southeast of Blaine, in a town known for its Dutch-immigrant heritage and architecture — has seen a spike in cancellations by Canadians, she said.

“We responded by saying we are truly shocked and saddened by the policies of this administration and understand how she must feel,” Treat said.