POINT ROBERTS, Wash. — In the northwest corner of Washington state lies a quirky U.S. exclave so dependent on Canada’s goodwill that the strain of President Donald Trump’s tariff war is inescapable — in the sole grocery store, at any of the three eateries, and for the many residents who never voted for him.
Locals and visitors alike in Point Roberts, Washington, are increasingly worried about how this unusual waterfront border town that has embodied the two countries’ interdependency can survive the hostility brewing on both sides.
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“This was really devastating,” said Tamra Hansen, a longtime Point Roberts resident and business owner whose eyes welled with tears as she described her two restaurants on the brink. “If we don’t get the support from the Canadians, this town will die.”
Known as a geographic oddity since the boundary with Canada was drawn in 1846, this detached 5-square-mile community — called an exclave because it’s completely separated from mainland America — is surrounded by water on three sides. Its only land connection is to Canada and it takes one border crossing and about 25 miles north by car to get to downtown Vancouver, B.C.; or two border crossings and about 25 miles through Canada to re-enter the United States along Boundary Bay.
The beaches, marina, golf course and hiking trails have long made Point Roberts a cherished getaway destination, but today locals say business has never been worse. Canadian visitors are staying away and some American residents say they’ve even been harassed over their nationality.
Point Roberts Fire Chief Christopher Carleton said Point Roberts is one the last remaining untouched natural gems of the United States, but the tight-knit community with no stop lights is now under threat by politicians who know nothing about their way of life.
“We need to take care of one another and have grace for one another and not allow people who don’t even know we exist to disrupt the relationships we currently have,” said Carleton, whose firefighters mostly live across the border.
Tensions between the U.S. and Canada have spiked to a level not seen before in modern times thanks to Trump’s on-again, off-again threat over the past two months to place taxes on a long list of goods going across the border. In response, Canada has promised retaliatory tariffs.
For a country that has famously prided itself on being nice, polite and loyal allies, Canadians aren’t hiding their disgust for Trump’s polarizing rhetoric, especially taking offense with the U.S. president’s claim that Canada could be the “ 51st state.”
Mark Nykolaichuk said he refuses to go to the mainland U.S. but describes Point Roberts as a unique exception because the border here has never felt like an actual divide for Canadians like him who grew up visiting.
Most of the property owners here are from Canada,