Bellingham is a fun weekend trip for visiting Canadians, particularly those living across the border in British Columbia, but it sounds like some residents aren’t too thrilled with their border mates.
A thread was posted to the Bellingham subreddit on Thursday titled, “Canadian’s shopping in Bellingham.”
Reddit user itsyentylnotlentil had a quick PSA for Canadians “who cross the border to shop in this county.”
His post spawned hundreds of comments from other Bellingham residents and Canadians who were apologetic for how fellow Canadians might be acting in the city.
- You might also like:
- Portland is building a new world-class airport terminal building (RENDERINGS)
- How to spend less time at the Canada-US border and more time on vacation
- Massive border lineups continue into a second day as BCers head south
Bellingham is located in Whatcom County and is the most populous city. It’s a popular spot for a day trip, particularly for folks living in Vancouver, as it’s just an hour and a half drive away, according to Google Maps. Many Vancouver and BC residents travel for shopping and that seems to be the sticking point with the Reddit PSA.
“I implore you to research the food desert in Bellingham and Whatcom county and consider how much you purchase when over here (every day).”
According to 48 Degrees North, “Food deserts cover roughly 85% of Whatcom County. In Bellingham’s Birchwood Neighborhood and East Whatcom County, residents have limited access to affordable fruits, vegetables, dairy, and grains.”
A more recent story from KUOW suggests other factors are impacting areas like Bellingham regarding food deserts.
According to the Reddit PSA, some claims about how Canadians act in Bellingham include accusations of hoarding.
“I just don’t see why it’s necessary to fill up 12 gas cans at Costco during peak hours or to clear shelves at Trader Joe’s before noon.”
How Bellingham residents feel about visiting Canadians
It wasn’t just itsyentylnotlentil, many chimed in with their concerns about Canadians and some Canadians also had thoughts.
One user wrote, “What really gets me is that apparently, a big part of the reason they come here is that Canada has strict standards on quality of food, which means they’re mostly coming here for our garbage 😬”
Another user acknowledged that Canadians “contribute a lot to our economy” and wished they would “act less entitled and more considerate of local residents.”
Someone used satire to express how they felt.
“In defense of Canadians, they live in a hellish god-forsaken wasteland reminiscent of Mad Max. I’ve never been there or wanted to risk my life crossing the border, but I presume what passes for a civilization is an utter disaster since [they] must travel to another country to purchase the very necessities needed for survival.”
How Canadians feel about themselves
One Canadian Redditor was apologetic on behalf of other Canadians.
“As your Canadian neighbour, I apologize for these imbeciles. If it makes you feel any better, they act the same, if not worse, up here.”
One Canadian shared why they go to Bellingham.
“We visit Bellingham from Canada at least once a month or more. Your gas is half-price, your dairy is great, chicken is half-price, and your restaurants are terrific.”
They suggested that Canada doesn’t even have Mexican food and praised Bellingham’s golf courses.
A neutral observer suggested that many of the things Bellingham offers wouldn’t exist without Canada because of how much money is spent in the city.
In reference to the food desert, they said, “Canadian demand helps more than it hurts to make us more significant in supply chain calculations.”
We’ve contacted the City of Bellingham to ask if any concerns about Canadians visiting Bellingham are warranted.
Follow Channels and Categories