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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.…

The Gordie Howe International Bridge is 'essentially complete.' The fight over it is not

Laurie Trautman, director of the Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash., said the Gordie Howe International Bridge illustrates the economic and political complexity of building major cross-border infrastructure.

"I think it tells us that,…

Local malls transform through economic concerns

Laurie Trautman, director of the Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University, said her organization no longer conducts a license plate survey in the mall’s Target parking lot to check for Canadian shoppers. But other data suggests Canadians aren’t visiting…

WWU faculty and staff collaborate on new border research article
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…

Whatcom READS welcomes Laurie Trautman and Ted Alden for "The Future of Borders," Feb. 7
Guest Writer: Borders, tourists and the Trump travel effect

The Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University published an infographic early in January that showed an overall 36% decrease in passenger vehicle traffic…

Worry in border towns 1 year into B.C. residents avoiding trips to Washington state

Laurie Trautman, director of the Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University in Bellingham, said she initially thought the sharp drop in B.C.-Wash. border crossings last year was a blip.

"In some ways it starts to feel like a new normal, which is sort of a sad thing…

Despite international tension, B.C and Washington state sign friendship accord

Laurie Trautman, the director of the Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University in Bellingham, said environmental challenges around tanker traffic in the Salish Sea and the floodwater from the Nooksack River crossing the border into B.C.’s Sumas Prairie have been long-…

Dr. Laurie Trautman: Border Crossings Update

KGMI’s Jason Upton speaks with Dr. Laurie Trautman, director of Western Washington University’s Border Policy Research Institute, about the latest trends in border crossings from B.C. to Whatcom County, where cross-border relations stand at the end of 2025, how it’s impacting local businesses,…

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