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The tiny community of Point Roberts is a little bit of America, firmly fixed to British Columbia.
It’s the result of a cartographic quirk, occupying the southern tip of the otherwise-Canadian Tsawwassen peninsula that is surrounded by water, but dangles south of the 49th parallel.
The exclave gets water and electricity from Metro Vancouver and sometimes Canadian firefighters come to the rescue.
The strange situation of the tiny Washington state community — solely attached to Canada but part of the United States — has some residents feeling caught between forces beyond their control, amid the spiralling trade war and rhetoric between the two countries.
Point Roberts residents say there’s been a decline in traffic and business from across the border. Some want Canadians to know that U.S. President Donald Trump doesn’t represent their views, with his economic assault and talk of annexation, as they declare their affection for Canada with Maple Leaf flags, stickers and a banner on the only grocery store.
“I talked to someone last week, and they said they could best sum it up by saying Point Roberts is basically the children going through a divorce proceeding, the parents are the two countries, so we’re powerless,” said Point Roberts Realtor Wayne Lyle in a recent interview.
The mood has shifted too, he said, with the sense that a wedge was being driven between neighbours.
“It just doesn’t feel as friendly as it was, and so it’s a little bit worrisome,” said Lyle, noting that he’s seen fewer cars on the road in Point Roberts since the trade war talk began.
Lyle estimates more than 70 per cent of property in Point Roberts is owned by Canadians, and more than 50 per cent of the approximately 1,200 residents are dual citizens.
Brian Calder, former president of the Point Roberts Chamber of Commerce, estimates the community’s economy is 90 per cent driven by Canadians.
Calder, who is a dual citizen, recently designed a bumper sticker to show support for Canada. It’s printed in red, white and blue, but simply reads “Point Roberts, Wa. supports Canada.”
He said the stickers that are being distributed by local businesses are a big hit.
Calder said everyone in Point Roberts is worried about the trade war, but most don’t know what to do. They don’t have a mayor or a city council to represent them, and the administration in Whatcom County, which governs them, is about 80 kilometres and two international border crossings away.
Point Roberts is a product of the 1846 Oregon Treaty between Britain and the United States that established the 49th parallel as the main boundary between the two countries. While an exception was made to bend the border around the southern end of Vancouver Island, the 12.6-square-kilometre tip of the Tsawwassen peninsula fell under American jurisdiction.
But sometimes it doesn’t feel that way, Calder said.
“We’re like the orphan of Whatcom County,” he said.
“We get more support from Delta city council and Metro Vancouver,” he said, referring to the Canadian municipalities over the border. “Our own Whatcom County and state do nothing for Point Roberts,” said Calder, adding that they get “very, very little attention” from Bellingham, Wa.
‘DOOM AND GLOOM’
Point Roberts’ proximity to Canada defines much of its business activities. There are several package-receiving businesses, that mainly serve Canadian customers who buy goods that can only be delivered to a U.S. address.
Calder’s niece, Beth Calder, has run Point to Point parcel services since 2001. She said she noticed a “big dip in parcels coming in” recently — although February and March are always the slowest months of the year — and “without continued support, it will be a struggle to keep the business going.”
She is flying a Canadian flag in the lobby of the store, where Calder said there have been plenty of “doom and gloom conversations” with Canadian customers telling her they don’t want to come back to the U.S. for another four years.
“Those kind of comments said to us, that can be devastating to our type of business where we solely survive based on offering a service to Canadians to provide them a U.S. shipping address,” she said.
She said the flag was to show support for the store’s Canadian customers. “We’re just kind of caught in the middle of the turmoil. All of my staff are dual citizens. … I don’t like to see animosity between brother and sister, countries, or our neighbours,” she said.
Ali Hayton owns International Marketplace, the only grocery store in Point Roberts. She said business has never bounced back to pre-pandemic levels.
“We are still struggling from when they closed the borders and we never really made up from that, and now there’s this really ugly sentiment out there from a lot of Canadians towards Americans,” said Hayton. She called the situation “really sad … we’ve always just had a really good reciprocal relationship.”
Hayton said her store was built to serve 8,000 people a week. Now they welcome about 2,000.
She’s been flying a four-foot-long vinyl banner at her store since the pandemic, featuring two people holding hands and American and Canadian flags.
Hayton said residents don’t want to be judged by “what our president is doing.”
“And it feels a little bit hypocritical when people treat us that way, when we as individual citizens haven’t done anything wrong, and we’ve always been good and kind and open to our northern neighbours, and we want to keep it that way,” said Hayton.
Tamra Hansen, owner of the Saltwater Cafe that’s steps away from the beach, is blunt about the impact of the trade war.
“The place has been dead, there is very little traffic,” said Hansen, who reckons 90 per cent of her revenue comes from Canadians.
“It’s a very nervous time for all of us because I’m dependent on Canadians to make my business run,” said Hansen, adding that she has more than 15 employees to look after.
Brian Calder said the U.S. tariffs against Canada are “absolutely unnecessary” with no winners, emotionally or economically.
“So, why are you doing it? It’s absurd,” said Calder, calling the strategy “absolutely stupid and inhumane.”
“And then on top of that, you threatened the integrity of Canada as a nation,” he said, referring to Trump. “There’s no question that Canada will retaliate … they’ve got every right to.”
Calder cited an inscription on the Peace Arch monument on the border that refers to Canadians and Americans as “children of a common mother.”
“It would be nice to have President Trump and his vice-president come up and read that Peace Arch and get it through their heads that we’re allies and best friends for 200 years, and why on Earth does he think he has to put us against each other,” said Calder angrily.
But there’s some blame on the other side of the border, said Realtor Lyle.
Both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and B.C. Premier David Eby are “shaming Canadians that do want to come down here,” making Lyle fear the wounds may linger.
“The worry is that if the tariffs come off tomorrow, there’s still this Canadian animosity a little bit,” said Lyle.
He said he’d heard of some unpleasant encounters involving residents getting asked why their vehicles have American plates while travelling to B.C.
“It’s making them feel uncomfortable, and that person might even originally be a Canadian,” said Lyle.
“So, just don’t take it out on our little town. We’re probably the most Canadian town in the U.S.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Mar. 12 2025.
Nono Shen, The Canadian Press