New law opens door to citizenship for ‘lost Canadians’ in Bellingham and beyond

“I don’t know that there has ever been a fraughter time, if that’s a word, for the U.S. and Canada,” said Laurie Trautman, who studies relations between the neighboring countries as director of the Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University. “The damage has been done to the relationship. The trust has been broken.”

Many Canadians who still cross the border are no longer coming primarily to shop, according to surveys conducted by Trautman’s group.

“They’re crossing much less for economic purposes,” she said. “They’re coming more for family reasons or maybe to go mountain biking or skiing.”

Long-term security

Border Policy Research Institute research manager Jennifer Bettis said the current political context makes Bill C-3 particularly significant for Americans with cross-border connections.

“We realized that the border can be used as a tool for restrictions and stopping the movement of people,” Bettis said, referencing COVID-19 pandemic border restrictions. “Americans might see this [law] as an opportunity to strengthen connections that they have with family across the border and take advantage of the benefits that come along with Canadian citizenship.”