Osoyoos Mayor Sue McKortoff likens the situation facing the scenic B.C. community just a few kilometres from the U.S. border to that of her own family.

She said sheB次元官网网址檚 been asked recently how she deals with her Canadian daughter being married to an American, given the current tensions between the two nations, fuelled by U.S. tariff threats and talk of annexation.

B次元官网网址淲ell, of course, IB次元官网网址檓 going to go down and see my grandchildren. Why wouldnB次元官网网址檛 I?B次元官网网址� said McKortoff.

She said that her south Okanagan city of about 5,500 had little interest in worsening tensions with the United States, given that they B次元官网网址渉ave been our best neighbours for hundreds of years,B次元官网网址� with a big portion of the city economy relying on U.S. tourists visiting nearby wineries and farmers markets in the summer.

Bigger municipalities in B.C. have been talking of boycotts and reciprocal action against the threat of American tariffs on Canadian exports, with VancouverB次元官网网址檚 council voting to direct procurement contracts to Canadian businesses instead of American ones, and suburban New Westminster asking staff to halt non-essential work trips to the United States.

But McKortoff and mayors of some other small border communities say they canB次元官网网址檛 afford to antagonize American customers and friends or have no interest in doing so.

B次元官网网址淲e need to be open to any kind of option that will allow us to do business and to make sure that we understand what the concerns are on both sides B次元官网网址� and see how we can best deal with the situation because it changes often,B次元官网网址� she said.

She said Osoyoos businesses head south on Highway 97 daily to get products from the United States and she had no problem with that.

B次元官网网址淢y job is to support our local businesses. I always have pushed that since IB次元官网网址檝e been on council and I think they may have product from the States, but theyB次元官网网址檙e local. They work here. They support this community, therefore I support them,B次元官网网址� she said.

Tom Morphet, mayor of Haines Borough, Alaska, recently wrote to Diane Strand, mayor of nearby Haines Junction, Yukon, to reaffirm a friendship the communities have shared for years.

B次元官网网址淎s northerners, we sometimes have as much in common with our Canadian neighbours as we do with our own countrymen in the southern latitudes,B次元官网网址� he wrote this month.

Morphet said in an interview that his love for Canada began 20 years ago when his truck got stuck in a mountain pass during a blizzard. It was a Canadian who pulled his vehicle out, then let him follow his tail lights for 240 kilometres.

B次元官网网址淲e wrote the letter to reinforce this great relationship weB次元官网网址檝e always had here close to the border,B次元官网网址� said Morphet, adding that many residents B次元官网网址渨ere born in Canada and have dual citizenship, and we have our First Nations who have always travelled freely in this part of the world.B次元官网网址�

Morphet said residents in Haines Borough feel more connected to Canada than to the B次元官网网址渓ower 48.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淲e have lots of loonies and toonies in our cash registers. We all love that $5 bill that had the hockey game on the backside. I mean, we love Canada being Canada,B次元官网网址� said Morphet.

Strand said the B次元官网网址渂order doesnB次元官网网址檛 mean that muchB次元官网网址� to either community.

Residents of both travel back and forth, especially during harvesting season. Alaskans crossed into Canada for moose hunting while Yukoners travelled to Alaska for eulachon fishing.

Both rely on each other to boost their economies, said Strand.

B次元官网网址淲e are a family and we are friends and the border never meant anything to us years ago. It was the Canadian government and the U.S., that put this border up. We have so many family members and we need to make sure that we maintain those ties,B次元官网网址� said Strand.

B次元官网网址楽HOOTING OURSELVES IN THE FOOTB次元官网网址�

In Rossland, B.C., Mayor Andy Morel, said the B次元官网网址渂eautiful little mountain communityB次元官网网址� in the Kootenays needed to walk a B次元官网网址渇ine lineB次元官网网址� in not upsetting their U.S. neighbours, who are a big part of the local economy.

He said 60 to 75 per cent of the cityB次元官网网址檚 economy was driven by American tourists, with the city well known for its skiing and mountain biking culture.

B次元官网网址淔rom the perspective of wanting to support our own economy, we do rely on U.S. visitors strongly, and weB次元官网网址檇 be shooting ourselves in the foot B次元官网网址� if we started to boycott and to bad mouth our American tourists and friends on the other side of the border,B次元官网网址� said Morel.

About 130 kilometres to the west, the town of Creston, B.C., is just across the border from deep-red Idaho, and the town of Bonners Ferry, which greets visitors with a sign saying: B次元官网网址淲elcome to Trump country. Love God, guns, family, freedom and your neighbor.B次元官网网址�

Creston Mayor Arnold DeBoon said seeing the sign made him B次元官网网址渦ncomfortable B次元官网网址� in Canada, we donB次元官网网址檛 have that strong connection to guns, and we donB次元官网网址檛 want that in Canada.B次元官网网址�

He said the cross-border sentiment had B次元官网网址渃ooled offB次元官网网址� due to the recent tensions over TrumpB次元官网网址檚 proposed tariffs. But he hoped to be able to maintain a B次元官网网址渇riendly relationship.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 think we want to be impolite or destroy a relationship thatB次元官网网址檚 out there,B次元官网网址� said DeBoon.

B次元官网网址淎nd I do believe one of the things we should be doing to this point, is welcome more from the south because of the exchange rate, and just let them know that if they want to come to Canada, the dollar will go far, and they will enjoy the country and the scenery.B次元官网网址�

Back in Rossland, Morel said that like many heB次元官网网址檚 worried about the countryB次元官网网址檚 economy if the tariffs go ahead, and Canadians will have to B次元官网网址渇ight back as best we can.B次元官网网址�

But on B次元官网网址渁 face-to-face, person-to-personB次元官网网址� basis, Morel wants to keep things friendly with the communityB次元官网网址檚 American neighbours.

He said many residents recognize itB次元官网网址檚 the U.S. administration causing the tensions, and not every American supports Trump.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a border there, but many of them love our community. They come to our community every year, they spend money, they invest in the community, and (we) will continue to welcome them,B次元官网网址� said Morel.