'Give Point Roberts to Canada': U.S. resident pleads for help amidst tariff war | Daily Hive

Bellingham/Whatcom County Tourism

The love that former Vancouver city councillor and current Point Roberts resident Brian Calder has for his community is clear to see.

“Point Roberts is a community of natural beauty with easy access to our family members in Canada,” Calder told Daily Hive Urbanized. My great-grandfather homesteaded in Point Roberts in 1895, and my grandmother, born here, moved to Vancouver and became a registered nurse at Vancouver General Hospital.”

Calder’s family has been part of Point Roberts for five generations, and he explained that times have never been tougher than they are now on the small American “pene-enclave.”

He explains that many of the challenges stem from the ongoing tariff war that is keeping many British Columbians away from the U.S.

Brian Calder

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“Although the reaction to tariffs is still in its infancy, I expect that the long-term effects of it will be negative to the Point Roberts economy,” Calder said. “We have seen people sell their long-standing family recreational property, and others not visit nearly as much.

“Some have stated, ‘We do love it here, but will see you again in four years,’ refusing to visit as long as Trump is President.”

Calder, who was a Vancouver city councillor for two terms between 1969 and 1972, highlighted the recent closure of a Point Roberts parcel service that served Canadians for over two decades due to the ongoing tariff war between Canada and the U.S.

Point to Point Parcel

The former president of the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver also noted that the pandemic was financially disastrous to the community.

“The border lockdown was, and continues to be, economically devastating for Point Roberts,” he said. “Our community has never recovered economically beyond 70 per cent of what our economic activity was before the COVID border lockdown.

“The 2025 tariff war has knocked us down a further 20 per cent so far. That totals a 50 per cent reduction in economic activity. Most businesses cannot survive at that level, particularly when they need to generate revenue through their normally busy months from May through September, as their winter months are historically lean.”

Surrounded by the ocean on three sides and Canada on the other, Point Roberts is technically part of Whatcom County in Washington. But it’s not connected by land to the U.S. at all.

Land access to Point Roberts, located just south of Vancouver on the Tsawwassen Peninsula, from the nearest U.S. location, is only possible via a 40 km trip through B.C.

Aerial of Point Roberts in the United States, on the tip of Canada’s Tsawwassen peninsula. (Google Maps)

According to Calder, the government border crossing data shows how precipitous the drop in travel to the community has been since many B.C. residents began boycotting U.S. travel.

“Monthly border crossings to Point Roberts in August of 2019 were 152,684, and the same month in 2024 saw 110,303. However, in August 2025, there were only 90,410 crossings. Devastating numbers for our business community, with no let-up in sight from the tariff impact.”

The former Director and President of the Chamber of Commerce says that he believes it is time to give Point Roberts to Canada.

“Point Roberts is governed by Whatcom County, W.A., some 50 miles and two international borders away from us,” said Calder. “We have no local government, and it shows.

“We obtain far more support from the City of Delta, Metro Vancouver, and British Columbia than we do from Whatcom County and Washington State governance. Canada supplies our potable water, electrical power, septic waste treatment, and assists in fire protection when needed.”

Point Roberts waterfront (Shutterstock)

Calder points to the United States’ transfer of the town of Rio Rico from Texas to Mexico in the 1970s as a precedent that could be followed.

He added that granting Point Roberts to Canada would help preserve the nature and ambience of the community in perpetuity.

“Canadian and Point Roberts’ residents are homogeneous. Half of our current residents hold dual citizenship and have family members living and working in each country.

“Due to the geographic isolation from the rest of the U.S. and our limited resources, most residents depend more on Canada than on the US for their day-to-day living and survival.”

LifeisticAC/Shutterstock

Calder pointed out that the community does not have a high school, a pharmacy, a resident doctor, or other services such as an optometrist, dentist, physiotherapist, or veterinarian. Retail services are also scarce.

“No analysis of our current negative economic decline has been done, and no possible solution or resolution is even being considered,” he said. “The only solution may be to make us an international park governed by both countries, or grant us local-run self-determination status. Peace Arch 2.0? Another possibility may be to be annexed to Delta, B.C.

“It is long overdue that the Point Roberts governance situation and status need to be acted upon immediately. Otherwise, the U.S government tariff nonsense and Canadian retaliation will finish off the community economically.”

Do you agree that Point Roberts should be given to British Columbia? Are you actively avoiding travel to Washington or elsewhere in the United States? Let us know in the comments or get in touch at vancouver@dailyhive.com.

With files from Daily Hive staff.