Point Roberts is a Washington state ghost town in the making
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- čas přidán 11. 09. 2024
- During the best of times, Point Roberts, Washington is a laid-back getaway for nearby Canadians. These are not the best of times.
"We're just a forgotten part of Washington," resident Rick Hoole said.
This American outpost is located at the tip of Canada's Tsawwassen Peninsula, just south of Vancouver.
"Mother Nature gave us a jewel," said chamber of commerce president Brian Calder, "Just a wonderful place to be."
But now COVID-19 has virtually closed the two land borders that stand between 'the point' and the rest of Whatcom County. A new regulation requiring COVID tests for people visiting Canada has been waived for Point Roberts residents to allow them passage through British Columbia on the way to essential services in the U.S., 25 miles away. But residents still can't visit the nearby communities of British Columbia, and Canadians aren't able to come and go freely to Point Roberts, leaving the community's economy frozen and its residents feeling trapped.
Calder said, "Probably the most unique situation in all of North America."
There's no hospital, dentist, or pharmacy in Point Roberts. Many older residents rely on help from their families in Canada, according to Galen Wood of the volunteer group, Circle of Care.
"And the family members are not allowed to come over," Wood said.
The restrictions run both ways.
"A young man here was told by the doctors that he should come and see his mother (in Canada) because she was in her last days," said Wood, "And they wouldn't let him through the border. And she passed away that night."
Canadians used to keep business booming at the town's five gas stations and its only grocery store, the International Marketplace.
"We're losing money every month," said Dean Priestman, store manager of the Marketplace. "You can't do anything about it. Your customer base is gone."
"Our economy is driven strictly by Canadians," said Calder.
The town's business is down about 90 percent.
"Nothing in sight that looks like a recovery," Calder said.
Nearly half of the 1,400 residents have left, and the road to the border crossing is empty enough for an afternoon stroll right down the middle of the street. There are few cars and fewer rules of the road. Many drivers have grown comfortable rolling through stop signs, knowing there's little traffic on the local streets.
The Bald Eagle Golf Course goes largely unused. Its clubhouse is shuttered.
"We've got to get this pandemic under control, get things back to normal," said Hoole, who works as the golf course's superintendent and sole remaining employee.
Seventy-five percent of the property in Point Roberts is owned by Canadians, like Bob Stuart.
"We have 20 acres there," he said from just behind a knee-high border barrier next to Point Roberts' Monument Park.
From where he's standing in Canada, just inches from the U.S., he can almost see his property. But he can't get to it to maintain it.
"When this ever breaks," Stuart said, "I'll have lots of work to do so I'll be down on a little more regular basis to clean it all up."
This unique place needs a unique solution.
"This is killing Point Roberts," Stuart said.
But with two federal governments unable to reach an agreement for moving forward, there doesn't seem to be any solution on the way.
Calder makes one last, desperate plea.
"Somebody," he said, "Come and pay attention to us!"
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I really wanna know what the dude at the end has to say about the foo fighters
You beat me to this comment 😝😂🤣
Love how sports can be played but no exception for a place like this which has had only one positive case while professional sports teams have tested positive over and over again. Its all about what makes big cash. So sad!
It is...reciprocal or nothing.
All these ghost walking around here are really friendly
Point Roberts should really be part of Canada - it's ridiculous.
And Campobello Island should be part of the United States as well. I felt pretty guilty, not knowing about point Roberts. I lived in Washington for 15 1/2 years and never even knew about it from when I was eight years old when I was 23 years old. I currently live in Nevada now.
Yeah no
Canada and the USA should become one country!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I like my heath care😊 and lack of guns. Haha. But I hear you. We need to go back to pre 911 laws. There’s no reason that a guy like me from Vancouver island shouldn’t be allowed to go watch some dirt racing in the states then head back home to Canada. Without being interrogated like a wanted criminal.
I hope the Canadian gov & US gov make a deal allowing us Canadians to visit beautiful Point Roberts (with masks of course) :)
"...well the Foo Fighters..."
Instead of 'epidemic', I prefer 'this phase of this Economic Lock-Down'.
I only live a few hours away from pt roberts and i.didnt even know it existed
Just give that piece of land to Canada
Ikr they should
This is all solved by a US ferry service you guys have lots of money
Pt. Roberts should have never happened.
Just give it canada
yes good old Joe is all about the people, I lived in Tsawwassen when i was in my late teens and early 20's, and in the summer the place is packed with people just going to the beach, and there beach is one of the nicest in the area. closing that border is so stupid, but Joe don't care because there is no big votes there
BINGO.
it's hard on every border town,
Except look at Point Roberts' geography, it's isolated & can't be reached by land.
Point Roberts should be part of Canada MR BIDEN TEAR THIS WALL DOWN !!!!!
Unlady like behavior
Surely point roberts has no oil so no one cares haha
Have the airforce do a military drop box (vaccines plus other amenities) to the residents whilst the borders are closed. Can the vaccines be delivered by helicopter?
There wouldn't be anyone to administer them.
I would l I very the Vacation & study time.
Online live
Just sell it to Canada and be done with it
After Alaska, I dont think .... well let me stop there....Canada is stupid enough to do this.