Canada reacts to verbal insults and tariffs

It’s no secret that the Canadians are upset with the U.S. after Trump’s punitive tariffs and 51st state comments or by insulting their premier, calling him a governor on a recent phone call. As a result, fewer of them are crossing the border.

Data shows that border traffic was down 45% in March over February and businesses are taking a hit, many losing as much as 50-70% of their revenue.  For Whatcom county, that borders Canada, the boycott is reeking havoc with businesses and also impacting county taxes. Still fresh in their memory, businesses are still trying to recover from the effect from border closures during the pandemic where many of them had struggled to hang on.

Nearly all border businesses depend upon sales from Canadians for their livelihood, be it retail or wholesale, so we thought we’d see what the impact on golf courses in the area was. What we found was not what we expected.

Courses like Semiahmoo, a private course with a large Canadian membership, has not been effected by border traffic. Other courses that are not private say they have a significant amount of Canadians in their men’s clubs and haven’t seen measurable reduction in play. Maybe 5-10%.

The popular contention by border courses is that golfers are passionate about golf and will not let anything get in the way of playing it.

Other courses like Avalon in Burlington say they are far enough from the border that they don’t really feel any significant impact in play.

Conversely, Bald Eagle Golf Club in Port Roberts is in a world of their own, being accessible by land only by passing through Canada and two border crossings. Point Roberts businesses remembers when they were forced to close the course for two years during the pandemic due to border restrictions, and hope not to revisit that experience.

The population of Point Roberts is less than 1,300 people, so outside play is essential to the golf course. Tracy Evans, the general manager of Bald Eagle Golf Club, said she is worried that Canadians will not cross the border and remarked that the course’s very existence depends on Canadian support.

She related stories of people telling her, “We’ll see you in four years.” or, “I can’t justify giving money to the U.S. at this time.” Evans also sells real estate and had a client that was trying to cross into Port Roberts to do a walkthrough of a home she was purchasing and was so hassled by the border guards that she vowed never to return, and forfeited $11,000 in earnest money. Evans is hoping the border patrol softens its attitude toward local visitors. Since the course didn’t open this year until April, it’s too soon to foretell what impact will be felt in the coming months.

While other courses in Washington and Oregon don’t depend on Canadian play for their survival, they do appreciate some cross-border visitors each year. Resort courses, especially, have a fair amount of Canadian visitors and are expected to be effected by the boycott. Trump’s presidency will forever be remembered for its negative impact on our relationship with our Canadian friends and neighbors for years to come. British Columbia is part of our Northwest family, and we share our common geography and climate, as well as a similar conviction for respecting our neighbors.