July festivities decline in border towns, with U.S.-Canada ties still strained

So, are Canadians likely to join in celebrations on the American side this July and beyond?

Jennifer Bettis, research and program manager at the Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University, said that, in her Cascade Gateway region, B.C.-plated vehicles entering the U.S. were still down more than 30 per cent this spring compared to 2024, but they were up slightly in May.

“The numbers are stabilizing a little bit,” she said, noting how “Canadian travel into the U.S. is very modestly increasing for the first time.”

“We’re recovering, but we’re still lower than what we were when this drop first started,” Bettis added.