Borderlands anxiety prompts wider reflection on bioregionalism

Commentary by Journalism Professor Derek Moscato

There’s a lot of talk about Canada-U.S. relations these days, thanks mostly to President Donald Trump’s move to apply tariffs to exports from up north. Canada had already announced retaliatory measures by the time Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reached a 30-day pause on the new policy, or what the New York Times dubbed “a cliffhanger compromise.” That’s a big deal for North Americans wherever they might be located, but the ramifications of this trade policy whiplash are especially salient here in Cascadia’s borderlands.

Expect the debate to continue. Politicians, economists, union bosses and Chamber of Commerce types are left to ponder the impacts of economic protectionism, from bulk lumber imports to the price of Quebec maple syrup. North of the border, whiskey drinkers are being implored to shift their consumption of Kentucky bourbon to Canadian rye.

Things are almost as dire at the hockey rink. Two weekends ago, in Canada’s national capital of Ottawa, some fans of the Senators National Hockey League club could be heard booing the U.S. national anthem during a Hockey Night in Canada telecast. It was a jarring scene, even by hockey’s rough-and-tumble standards. It didn’t take long for that dynamic to travel west, with the anthem booing continuing at a Vancouver Canucks game against the Detroit Red Wings.

The public handwringing and rhetoric speaks to the biggest immediate impact: the hit to morale for locals engaged in the mostly apolitical enterprise of cross-border retail, tourism and commerce. Communities like Blaine, Sumas and Point Roberts count on a steady flow of visitors from British Columbia who frequent restaurants, shops and gas stations. In Bellingham, Costco and Trader Joe’s have ramped up local operations based on an expected inflow of visitors from British Columbia. And tourism agencies in Vancouver, Seattle and all points in between count on a back-and-forth of shoppers, fun-seekers and outdoors enthusiasts to keep hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues humming. That integration enhances the quality of life for residents of Washington state and B.C.