Photo: Delta Optimist photo.

Welcome sign to Point Roberts.

Whether it’s the low loonie, low U.S. gasoline prices, or U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's talk, Point Roberts residents are seeing a change in the nature of the visits from their northern neighbours.

Former Point Roberts Chamber of Commerce president Brian Calder says that people just aren’t staying as long as they used to, and they’re not visiting as much as they did before the pandemic.

He cites U.S. border stats that show there were 84,379 border crossings in September, way down from the same month in 2019 when there were 116,195 visits.

But he says the area’s economy was declining even before the lockdown that resulted from the pandemic, which seems to have permanently changed visiting habits.

“Over half our visits now are to purchase gas or use our parcel services, which are short visits of 15 minutes,” he said. There's also been a reduction in tourist, holiday, weekend trips and an increase in the number of people just buying gasoline.

"They generally stay 15 minutes and do not make a healthy, overall commercial market. Those visits increase and decrease along with the dollar fluctuation," said by email.

Trump's talk and jokes reported in the media about Canada is also causing a "negative connotation," with Canadians who may not feel as welcome, said Calder, adding it's just one more burden for Point Roberts. He was told that one lady closed her U.S. bank account there and said she'd be back in four years.

“… because of the Trump-Trudeau meeting media coverage we are finding many Canadians very upset about Trump’s remarks vis a vis Canada, and further distancing them from us,” Calder said. “Not a healthy economic situation here with no let up in sight.”

He said the number of visitors increase and decrease with the fluctuation of the Canadian dollar.

Business was slow at the Saltwater Cafe on Gulf Road, Thursday (Dec. 5).

Owner Tamra Hansen said business has really decreased in the last few weeks at a place where most of the customers are from across the border.

“Absolutely, I’ve noticed the last two weeks. It’s just dropped off to nothing,” she said. “We have no support here whatsoever. Absolutely dead.”

After bouncing back after the pandemic, business in the last year has been down, although the summer was OK, she said.

She doesn’t know why.

“The dollar’s not helping that’s for sure,” she said.

She’s working on another strategy to draw in more local residents.

“We’re just working on trying to drive local business,” she said.

However, Hansen said a low loonie also entices Point Roberts residents north, so they can enjoy the strong U.S. dollar.

Calder said the local economy has been in decline for the last two decades and compares Point Roberts to Sumas, Wa., just across from Abbotsford. 

He said the economy won’t improve until Point Roberts takes “significant, pro-active measures.”

“Why does Sumas do so much better than Point Roberts?” he asked.

He added that Sumas has its own council.

“They locally determine their own economic and development direction,” he said.

The Port of Bellingham has received a grant of $72,000 from Washington state and is kicking in $18,000 in local funds to do an economic development study of Point Roberts.

Once complete, the study will be shared with Whatcom County politicians and staff to implement recommendations and seek grant funding.

In November, the Canadian dollar fell to its lowest level since May 2020 after Trump threatened to impose tariffs on Canadian goods shipped to the U.S. once he takes office in January.

The Canadian dollar was still at the 71 cents range as of Dec. 4.