Here’s why Whatcom County’s border crossings might be extra busy this weekend
Whatcom County’s border crossings could be busier than usual this weekend as Canadians take advantage of an upcoming holiday.
Monday, Aug. 1, is a civic holiday that’s celebrated in a variety of ways among the different provinces. In British Columbia, it’s known as British Columbia Day, where residents celebrate their local heritage.
The three-day weekend could mean longer wait times at Whatcom County’s five border crossings. Previous summer holidays, including Canada Day earlier this month, led to some wait times of over an hour.
After Canada lifted some of its testing restrictions on April 1, daily cross-border traffic has settled at a fairly stable level, according to data gathered by the Washington State Department of Transportation and the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
So far this summer around 20,000 vehicles cross the Blaine, Lynden and Sumas checkpoints daily on the weekends northbound and southbound. During the week the total hovers around 10,000-15,000 a day. The busiest day so far in 2022 was Sunday, July 10, when 22,974 vehicles went northbound and southbound through the border crossings.
In February, when testing restrictions were in place, the Whatcom border traffic volume was around 5,000 vehicles a day.
Canadians shopping in Whatcom County these days are doing so with no strong currency advantages compared to the U.S. dollar. Currently the Canadian dollar is about 78 cents compared to the U.S. dollar. Traditionally cross-border shopping increases when the Canadian dollar rises into the 85-90 cent range.
Travelers into Canada will need to use the ArriveCan app. Canadian media has reported some glitches with the app, but an updated version is expected to address those issues.
This story was originally published July 29, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
