Businesses in the isolated U.S. border town of Point Roberts just south of Vancouver are calling on President Joe Biden to help them hire Canadians to fill a labour shortage.
Brian Calder, the president of the Point Roberts Chamber of Commerce, wrote an open letter urging the president and lawmakers to make an exception to U.S. work permit policies for Point Roberts.
Point Roberts is part of Washington state but juts out from the Canadian mainland south of Vancouver and is only accessible by land via the Canadian border.
Calder says while they’ve looked for American citizens from other parts of Washington state to come work, high rental costs and four daily border crossings are barriers.
They say they hope their government will address their concerns and allow them to temporarily employ Canadians with work visas.
“Point Roberts is unique … in North America. Well, where is the unique solution? Nothing,” said Calder.
The international border cuts the peninsula containing Point Roberts in half, turning what would otherwise be a suburb of metropolitan Vancouver into a secluded getaway in Washington state separated from the U.S. mainland. (Allison Cake/CBC)
‘Orphan of the United States’
Dave Duncan, 62, lives in Blaine, Wash., but has worked in Point Roberts for 10 years.
As the manager of Point Roberts International Marketplace, the only grocery store in town, Duncan goes through four border crossings a day to get to work
“It feels good working here. I feel like I’m making a difference in people’s lives helping them,” said Duncan, adding he was able to cross the border for work during the pandemic but was required to provide letters, additional forms, and complete ArriveCan every time.
Duncan says before the pandemic, there were at least six other Americans who committed to the same commute. But now, he says, there’s only two of them who travel from Blaine to Point Roberts.
“The requirement is people that work here have to be either U.S. citizens or dual citizens, and we’re kind of exhausting that pool of people,” Duncan said.
“[There’s] no real workforce left [here] because their jobs went away. Because so much of our business relies on people being able to get here, whether it’s from Canada or from the rest of Washington.”
Dave Duncan, who manages the Point Roberts International Marketplace grocery store, says he’s one of two people who commute to town from Blaine, Wash., and passes through four border crossings a day. (Brian Calder)
Nick Kiniski, 62, had been in Point Roberts for over 35 years when he bought Kiniski’s Reef Tavern, which is now the only remaining restaurant in town.
While business has increased with other restaurants closing down, Kiniski says he doesn’t have the staff to meet the demand, forcing him to reduce restaurant hours during both the tourist and off-season.
“By letting us hire Canadians, what’s the downside? I can’t even run seven days a week. I got limited hours,” he said, adding he’d love to hire Americans who want a job, but most aren’t willing to commute.
“There’s no place for them to stay, and then in the wintertime, I go down to a ghost staff because it’s so slow. I don’t understand how [the government] expects us to be a viable business up here.”
Kiniski says as people leave Point Roberts, cabins and homes are being listed as short-term rentals on Airbnb and Vrbo rather than being put up for rent.
He expands that this limits the staff he can call on for support, especially during the summer tourist season.
“It’s just astronomical to stay here. So I have people stay in my house to help me out [during busy times] … like on long weekends.”
The Early Edition8:30Canadian workers for Point Roberts
The Point Roberts Chamber of Commerce wants Canadians to be allowed to work in Point Roberts businesses again.
Calder says Canadians used to work in Point Roberts, but permission was rescinded by Homeland Security after 911.
“No one challenged it [back then] because we had enough employees here … [The program] was straightforward and relatively easy, and we need it back again desperately,” said Calder, adding he’s frustrated by the empty promises politicians have made.
“We’re the orphan of the United States of America … [Politicians] say … we’re going to be defined by how we treat our most vulnerable and our weakest. But we’re in that category now. So where is the help?”
HOUSTON (AP) — Brian White scored in the second half to rally the Vancouver Whitecaps to a 1-1 draw with the Houston Dynamo on Wednesday night.
Houston (12-9-8) took a 1-0 lead into halftime after Ezequiel Ponce scored on a penalty kick in the seventh minute of stoppage time. Ponce’s third goal this season came after Amine Bassi drew a foul on Whitecaps midfielder Pedro Vite following a video review. It was Ponce’s sixth career appearance, all starts.
Vancouver (13-8-7) scored the equalizer in the 73rd minute when White, who entered in the 60th, used assists from Fafá Picault and Ryan Gauld to find the net for the 13th time this season. Picault’s assist was his fifth, matching his career high for a single season. Gauld’s assist gives him a career-best 13 on the season.
Yohei Takaoka, who had clean sheets in his last three starts, finished with one save in goal for the Whitecaps.
Steve Clark saved three shots for the Dynamo, who remain one point behind Vancouver in the Western Conference standings.
Houston, which was coming off a 4-1 victory over Real Salt Lake, has allowed just 33 goals this season.
Vancouver — 6-2-2 in its last 10 matches overall — leads the all-time series 10-9-6.
The Whitecaps remain on the road to play the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday. The Dynamo travel to play Austin FC on Saturday.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Tom Pearce and Nathan Saliba scored in the second half — the first goals of their careers — and CF Montreal rallied for a 2-2 draw with the New England Revolution on Wednesday night.
“In the second half, the guys came out a little more ambitious and above all, more connected,” Montreal head coach Laurent Courtois said. “It was a great second half of resilience and fighting spirit. Nathan and Sam were impressive.
“Impressive in covering the gaps and compensating for the teammates, and the individual defending – yes it’s true, it is a lot of weight on their shoulders, but that’s the job.”
New England (8-16-4) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the 24th minute on Bobby Wood’s third goal of the season. Teenage defender Peyton Miller notched his first assist in his fourth career start and sixth appearance and Carles Gil picked up his ninth of the season. Peyton, at 16 years, 315 days old, is the eighth youngest player in league history to record his first assist.
The Revolution took a two-goal lead in the 35th minute and held it through halftime when 19-year-old Esmir Bajraktarevic took a pass from Gil and scored his third goal of the season and career in his first full season in the league. It was the 73rd regular-season assist in Gil’s career, tying him with Steve Ralston for the most in club history.
Montreal (7-12-10) pulled within a goal in the 54th minute when Pearce scored off a free kick after defender George Campbell drew a foul on New England’s Mark-Anthony Kaye. It was the first goal for Pearce in his third career start and fourth appearance.
“Playoffs are the goal. Maybe it wasn’t in the best form, but in the end, we are picking up a point,” Pearce said. “We came into this game confident, ready to play our own game. Everyone tries their best, whenever the players are called on, we are always ready, and we are always giving it our best.”
Montreal scored the equalizer in the 68th minute on the first career goal by Saliba, a 20-year-old midfielder. Saliba has made 34 starts and 48 appearances with Montreal in his two seasons in the league. Campbell snagged his second assist of the season and the third of his career.
“It’s an incredible feeling, it’s a goal I’ve been waiting for a long time. I’m extremely happy that I was able to score it and that it can help the team take this important point on the road,” Saliba said. “Pearce’s first goal gave us really good momentum and we kept up the pressure to go for a second goal. We got more solid defensively, and we came back ready after halftime, to push for these 3 points.”
Aljaz Ivacic finished with four saves in goal for the Revolution.
Jonathan Sirois stopped four shots for Montreal.
New England beat Montreal 5-0 on the road on Aug. 24.
New England leads the all-time series 16-13-4. Montreal improves to 5-8-2 on the road against the Revs.
The Revolution travel to take on Charlotte FC on Saturday. Montreal returns home to host the Chicago Fire on Saturday.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Adolis García hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning, Cody Bradford pitched seven strong innings after the worst start of his career, and the Texas Rangers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 2-0 on Wednesday night.
The win kept the defending World Series-champion Rangers alive in the AL West race, trailing first-place Houston by 10 games with 10 to play.
García launched an inside sinker over the left-field wall off Toronto starter Bowden Francis (8-5) after Wyatt Langford singled.
“He swings hard, he swings a lot,” Francis said of García. “I guess the velo was dropping during that time.”
Bradford (6-3) allowed five hits and no walks while striking out six.
The seven shutout innings are the most in a game during his two-year career. He was knocked out of his previous start after allowing career highs in hits (nine), runs (eight) and homers (three) in 3 2/3 innings in a 14-4 loss at Arizona.
“Throughout the week, you’ve got to try and digest what happened, see where I can make adjustments, whether it was just game plan went wrong or just poor execution, or a little bit of both,” Bradford said. “Then you flush it.”
Bradford was perfect through four innings before Alejandro Kirk opened the fifth with a smash back to the mound that caromed off Bradford’s left foot and rolled into right field for a single. It extended Kirk’s hitting streak to a career-high 12 games.
Spencer Horwitz’s double to left-center put runners on second and third with no outs before Bradford retired the next three batters.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider credited Bradford’s “deceptive fastball.”
“When you’re throwing 89, 92, you’ve got to have pretty good deception with that at this level,” Schneider said. “Kept us off balance.”
Kirby Yates pitched a perfect ninth inning for his 31st save in 32 opportunities.
Francis, who took no-hitters into the ninth inning in two of his previous four starts, allowed a double to Marcus Semien, the Rangers’ first hitter of the game. He gave up five hits and one walk in six innings.
Francis has a 1.96 ERA in nine starts with 54 strikeouts and seven walks since being moved back into the starting rotation in late July.
“I don’t even want to get complacent, on cruise control,” Francis said. “Just keep attacking.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: SS Bo Bichette was a late scratch with a right middle finger contusion suffered during infield practice. Schneider said the team will get back x-rays on Thursday. Bichette was activated Tuesday following a calf injury and played for the first time in two months, going 2 for 5 with one RBI at the plate. … INF Will Wagner (left knee inflammation) will have the knee scoped on Thursday. Schneider said Wagner should be ready to start spring training. Wagner, son of former major leaguer Billy Wagner, was acquired from Houston at the trade deadline.
UP NEXT
Rangers rookie RHP Kumar Rocker (0-0, 2.25 ERA) will make his home debut against Blue Jays RHP Kevin Gausman (12-11, 4.02) in the series finale. Rocker allowed one run in four innings at Seattle last Thursday in his major league debut.
