B次元官网网址 there could be a temporary shutdown of the U.S. border crossing at Aldergrove, into Lynden, WA, was greeted with surprise and questions south of the line.
To replace two aging facilities along the Washington State side of the B.C. border in Lynden and nearby Sumas, across from Abbotsford, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has estimated it would trim projected construction time from 24 months to 18 months, if the Lynden crossing was completely closed.
Exactly how long Lynden would be closed wasn't clear from the GSA documents posted Jan. 14.
It would mean a drop in Canadian traffic to Lynden, predicted Gary Vis, executive director of the Lynden Chamber of Commerce and a long-time member of Lynden city council.
"There definitely would be an impact, and it wouldn't be a positive one," said Vis.
How much an impact would depend on how long the border is closed, Vis told the Langley Advance Times on Wednesday, Jan. 22.
"If they're talking a month, all right, you know, we can all make a sacrifice for a month," Vis remarked.
"But if it's six months, well, no, that ain't going to work."
He will be bringing the matter up with his council colleagues, and they may be reaching out to the GSA.
"I'm not in panic mode yet," Vis added. "We'll reach out to some folks, see if we can find out a little bit more about the length of the potential closure. And if it's too long, like I said, more than 30 days, well, then we're going to have to have a conversation."
Guy Occhiogrosso, president and CEO of the Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce, also has questions about the length of the shutdown.
"I hope it doesn't take that long. just for [the impact on] the speed and efficiency of being down a border crossing," Occhiogrosso said Wednesday.
Occhiogrosso said cross-border traffic has not fully recovered from the pandemic.
"We've never really returned to the volume of southbound trips," he estimated.
"I do think a big part of that is behaviour change B次元官网网址� people got out of the habit [of crossing the border]."
In addition to the impact on tourism and retail, Occhiogrosso warned the shutdown would disrupt travel by people who live in one country and work in another, and travel through Lynden.
"Those that cross the border for their job, is often, I think, an under-told story," Occhiogrosso commented.
"This is something that would be significant. Let's say someone lives just across the line and now has to go to Peace Arch [border crossing instead] on a daily basis to avoid the closure, that would be significant. That's more than just coming down once every month or once every two months to go shopping."