Point Roberts, Wash., business closes as U.S. exclave hit hard by drop in Canadian visitors

After 24 years, a business in Point Roberts, Wash., just south of Tsawwassen, is closing its doors for good.

Despite being in the United States’ exclave, Point to Point Parcel’s customers were almost exclusively Canadian.

As tariff rhetoric ramped up, the packages that passed through their hands dropped.

“Today, for instance, we got 25 packages from the post office. We usually have around, like, 70 to 100,” Point to Point manager Jordan Gellatly told CityNews.

The shelves would normally be full, but since the trade dispute and the ongoing tariff threats, they’ve gone empty — a major problem for small businesses like this.

The business will be closing toward the end of April, with Point to Point holding packages until April 19 before it shuts its doors.

But Point to Point isn’t the only one feeling the squeeze. Businesses across Point Roberts are being impacted.

“We’re at COVID-19-level numbers. The border might as well be shut,” International Marketplace owner Ali Hayton said.

With only about 1,200 full time residents in the border town, Point Roberts relies on Canadians visiting to stay afloat.

“This time of year, we would like to see 5 to 6,000 people here every week, so we’re cutting down deliveries. Hours are already short. We closed the deli on Sundays,” Hayton added.

And the story continues, no matter who you speak to — expenses are piling up.

“The only way I can pay those bills is if I get customers in the store, and right now, it’s not happening,” Larry’s Liquor Locker owner Larry Musselwhite said.

This would usually be a busy time of year for the Saltwater Café, but sales were down more than half last month. Owner Tamra Hansen says the business isn’t even breaking even.

“This is very hard,” Hansen said. “I’m going day by day with my business. I’m in debt, and, you know, I don’t have that overage to cover this.”

Hansen says she’s worried about the 15 people she employs.

Point Roberts business owners are optimistic but fear this is the thin end of the wedge — a protracted trade war could mean the end for these local businesses.