POINT ROBERTS, Wash. — Point Roberts is an odd town with an odd set of circumstances. The Whatcom County town is buried below the 49th parallel and separated by not one but two land border crossings.
A global pandemic nearly ended all travel there, and now an international crisis may bring it back.
"I'm the only person in western Washington that roots for high gas prices. Canadians come down en masse. That's stuff that brings the boys to the yard," said Ali Hayton, stealing a line from a famous song.
Hayton owns the only grocery store in town, the 38,000-square-foot International Marketplace. The store nearly closed because of the lack of traffic during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hayton said the last three weeks have seen an uptick in business, directly related to the increased cost of gas.
"It's refreshing to have to wait at the border a little bit," said Hayton.
Gas stations in neighboring Tsawwassen are selling fuel for $1.91 a liter in Canadian currency.
In Point Roberts, multiple stations advertise per liter rates of $1.29 in U.S. currency. When you factor in the metrics and conversion rates, Canadians can pay roughly 50 cents a gallon less by making the trip to the 5-square-mile U.S. exclave.
"I lost about 98% of my business here," said Kelly Bravener, who runs the Speedway Gas Station, noting a change in the past month. "I've had a huge upswing in my business, pretty steady."
While there weren't long lines, the multiple stations were humming on Thursday. Manuel Lee, of Richmond, British Columbia, said he made a trip to pick up some packages and some gas.
"On a tank, like our car, we save about $30-40 per tank,” said Lee. “Kind of worth it for us."
Down the street, Cheryl Lum, of Ladner, British Columbia, echoed the idea, saying she made the drive to Point Roberts just for the gas.
"It's cheaper,” explained Lum. “I'm retired, and I have lots of time.”
Yet, while the gas stations and parcel post places may have seen a surge in interest, other industries are lagging behind. Brian Calder, a long-time resident and chamber of commerce leader, said the slow changes to border policy and exemptions have curbed recovery. He said half of all business here is tied to real estate in some way, whether it be through second homes or new construction.
"It's an incremental improvement, but it's not big enough," warned Calder. "The daylight isn't there at the end of the tunnel. It's a candle, and the wind is still blowing."
Andy Leaf, who works for a Whatcom County construction company, also said the Point has been having trouble finding contractors, and that some refuse to make the trip because of COVID-19 vaccine and testing requirements.
While Point Roberts has had an exemption for a while, the COVID-19 testing requirements will change across the U.S.-Canadian border at the end of the month. Canada announced it will drop the PCR or Antigen test requirement on April 1.
The news was a relief to Tamra Hansen, of the Saltwater Cafe, who announced she would reopen next week after various stops and starts during the pandemic and provide another reason for people to stop in the town as the spring goes on.