Border Policy Research Institute

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With Canada testing ending, what will it mean for Whatcom cross-border traffic?

With another round of restrictions going away on Friday, April 1, local officials and businesses are expecting a robust increase to cross border travel into Whatcom County.

Earlier this month Canada announced that it is dropping the testing requirement for vaccinated travelers beginning…

2022-03-31
Canada to Ease Visitor COVID-19 Testing Ahead of Tourist Season

Canada will remove mandatory COVID-19 testing for those entering the country as of April 1, a move being met with optimism and varied expectations in both Canada and United States.

Advance COVID-19 screening will no longer be required for visitors wishing to enter Canada via land, sea or…

2022-03-24
Whatcom businesses expect more Canadian customers

Businesses around Whatcom County wait in anticipation as eased pre-entry border requirements promise to lure back Canadian shoppers beginning next week.

Canadian officials …

2022-02-22
Canada may ease some border requirements that could boost cross-border travel

The Canadian government is thinking about dropping the testing requirements for its citizens coming back into the country, which could mean more cross-border traffic in Whatcom County.

The CBC reported on Friday, Feb. 11, that the Canadian federal government is close to removing…

2022-02-14
Canada to drop testing requirement for those making short trips into Whatcom County

One Canadian border restriction that will continue to dampen cross-border shopping is the rule for unvaccinated children, said Laurie Trautman, director at Western Washington University’s Border Policy Research Institute. The restrictions currently in place have unvaccinated children required to…

2021-11-18
How many Canadian friends did Whatcom welcome back after the border reopened on Monday?

Whatcom County saw more traffic crossing the U.S.-Canadian border once restrictions were loosened on Monday, Nov. 8, but don’t start worrying about finding parking spots at Trader Joe’s or Costco just yet. The Western Washington University Border Policy Institute counted 2,598 southbound…

2021-11-09
Americans, Canadians anxiously awaiting full reopening of border

In between two border checkpoints, for two nations, sits one monument: the Peace Arch.

“The park is a solace,” said Christina Winkler, who is president of the International Peace Arch Association. “It's a refuge.”

Inscribed at the…

2021-11-04
U.S. borders to open in November to vaccinated travelers from Canada, Mexico

Laurie Trautman, director of the Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University, said last month there will always be a sense of uncertainty…

2021-10-13
Rick Steves explores Whatcom County seaside and Peace Arch State Park

For the second episode in our “Rick Steves explores Whatcom County” series, Washington’s most famous travel writer visits the extreme northwest corner of the contiguous United States, sampling some oysters fresh from Blaine Harbor and learning about …

2021-09-21
Latest border closure extension means more ‘unpredictability, suffering and frustration’

The United States will extend its border closure with Canada to non-essential travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic another month, the White House announced Monday, Sept. 20. White House Response Coordinator Jeff Zients announced the closure will be extended until Oct. 21, USA Today reported along…

2021-09-20
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