Despite a notable drop in travel to the States, B.C. and Vancouver residents are still crossing the Washington border to visit Bellingham, Seattle, and other locales, albeit in smaller numbers.
We recently connected with one of those Vancouver residents, Rachel, who recently had to travel to Bellingham. She went last week and told Daily Hive she felt unwelcome.
Don’t worry, Bellinghamsters. It wasn’t Bellingham residents who made her feel unwelcome; she said they’ve always been generally friendly.
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Rachel is in her 30s and works as a freelance graphic artist in Vancouver, and this trip to the States was out of necessity.
“I had to get something that was only available in the States,” Rachel told Daily Hive.
Before that trip, the last time she went down south was January 2025.
Rachel initially shared her experience about her trip on social media.
“The Nexus lane had about 30 cars, while the regular lanes had around 20. The officer working the Nexus lane was taking his time to inspect every other car, checking back seats, and opening trunks. Meanwhile, the regular lanes were moving faster.”
The chances of a secondary inspection caused her to think twice about moving into a faster lane.
“I considered switching over but decided against it, worried it might appear suspicious and increase the likelihood of being sent to secondary inspection,” she wrote.
She visited Trader Joe’s, as one does. She spotted a couple of B.C. plates but noted that it was “quieter than expected.”
She mentioned that her visit to Costco was even more surprising. After a quick scan, she noted that she didn’t see any B.C. plates. That corroborates sentiments we’ve even heard Bellingham residents share, such as missing the traffic at places like Costco.
Despite there being fewer crowds at places like Trader Joe’s and Costco, she said traffic was about the same.
Politics leading to discomfort for visitors
CPAC/YouTube
As someone who may have been a regular traveller at one point, we asked Rachel how the ongoing tensions between the two nations made her feel while travelling to the States.
“I felt unwelcome and deeply uncomfortable visiting the United States,” she said.
“It’s hard not to, when the head of the U.S. government openly threatened to annex my country and imposed tariffs that jeopardized the livelihoods of my friends and family. While I hold no ill will toward the American people, they did elect someone whose policies and rhetoric have caused real harm to Canadians and Americans,” Rachel added.
“Even now, a massive ‘Trump 2024’ billboard looms over I-5 near Ferndale, a stark reminder of ongoing support for those same divisive politics. And then there are the countless stories of travellers being detained or searched by [U.S. Customs and Border Protection] CBP without cause, adding another layer of fear and uncertainty.”
She also noticed a difference in how CBP was operating.
“I don’t think I was treated differently by the CBP. But, as reported by others, CBP is conducting ‘outbound searches’ northbound I-5 just before the border. I have crossed the border many times and have never seen something like it.”
Rachel is hesitant when thinking about another trip.
“As much as I enjoy going to Bellingham, I will not risk getting myself or, worse, my family, detained or harassed by the CBP.”
Many sympathized with Rachel.
“Thanks for coming down for the day — I am so looking forward to when our countries and peoples can make amends,” someone said in response.
Someone else said, “Thanks for coming to our town again and supporting local businesses. Hope you know that most of us love Canada and hate what’s happening in our own country right now.”
We asked the CBP about the inspections Rachel referred to.
In response, a CBP spokesperson said, “As part of its national security mission U.S. Customs and Border Protection routinely conducts inspections on outbound traffic. These inspections are a vital tool in apprehending wanted individuals as well as in seizing a variety of contraband – which ultimately makes our communities safer.”