Community of Point Roberts struggling as tourists are slow to return

Soundside

Summer is in full swing with clogged hiking trails, packed ferries, and the smells of backyard barbeques.

But while many of you might be visiting tourist towns in the Cascades or near a Puget Sound Island, one Washington tourist town has been struggling: Point Roberts, our favorite local exclave.

It’s a peninsula, surrounded by water on three sides, and its fourth side borders Canada. Summers are usually the high points for Canadian tourists who flock to "The Point’s" beaches, or maybe they just want the cheaper gas.

But since the pandemic closed down the border, traffic and tourism has struggled to rebound.

A lot’s been written about Point Roberts and its predicament. Soundside producer Alec Cowan wanted to know how locals see the situation. He took a trip across the border and back to see how this isolated town is dealing with the dip – and all the stories about its decline.

Guests:

• Brian Calder, president of the Point Roberts Chamber of Commerce
• Neil King, co-owner of Kora's Corner in Point Roberts
• Emma Jones, Point Roberts local
• Rick Hoole, Point Roberts local with the Bald Eagle Golf Club
• Tracy Evans, Point Roberts local with the Bald Eagle Golf Club
• Dave Duncan, manager at the International Market in Point Roberts

Related Links:

• KUOW - After two years of isolation, Point Roberts is open for business — sort of
• KUOW - Ferry service boosted to U.S. exclave of Point Roberts, which is cut off by Canada

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