‘The feeling was of friendship': Blaine border rallies meant to ease U.S.-Canada tensions
For the past few weeks, hundreds of Canadian and U.S. residents have participated in a weekly border rally in hopes of easing tensions from a trade war between the two governments, who have enjoyed friendship for decades as 'children of a common mother,' according to a slogan etched on one side of the Peace Arch.
They're meeting from noon to 2 p.m. Saturdays at Peace Arch State Park in Blaine, where visitors can stroll in a field that spans the border. Information about the gatherings is on the Facebook page Peace, Love and a Handshake.
Last Saturday's event resembled the end of a hockey game, where players greet each other on the ice to offer praise and settle any hard feelings.
'It was a powerful, moving thing,' Jeffrey Smith of Bellingham told The Herald.
Video from the event shows participants laughing and smiling as music played and drivers waiting to go through customs honked their horns. Many carried placards with slogans such as '(Heart) over hate.'
'We're kind of hoping that this message is not about politics. This is something that everyone can get behind,' Smith said in a phone interview.
Stories about the cross-border gatherings have been reported in Canadian media, including the CBC.
Mayor Mary Lou Steward of Blaine hopes the event catches on and visitors from both sides of the border return to patronizing businesses in the town of 6,232 that depends heavily on tourism.
Border crossings are down sharply since Feb. 1, when President Trump imposed wide-ranging tariffs on Canadian goods and sparked a trade war that left many Canadians feeling angry and betrayed at the U.S., an ally that they've supported through both world wars, the Sept. 11 terror attacks and beyond.
'The feeling was of friendship. Everyone was in a good mood,' Steward told The Herald in a phone interview. Steward was born in Ottawa and lived for many years in British Columbia before moving to the U.S.
'This resonates with people. There is this friendship. It's a little bit bruised right now, but we'll get back there,' she said.
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Jobs at the hospital can still be dangerous, but Yestramski credited CEO Charlie Southerland for working collaboratively with the union to come up with solutions to bolster worker safety. The following interview was lightly edited for clarity and length. Have you had a chance to chat with or meet face-to-face with the governor? I have not. You've called him a few names. How do you feel about him now? While his rhetoric during the session I didn't love, he did ultimately sign the budget that funds our contracts and did not contain furloughs. As far as what he actually did, he didn't harm us, which was the fear based on statements that were coming out. For that, I'm thankful. You did say you felt scammed and that workers were lied to because Ferguson's proposals didn't align with his pledges to labor leaders in the 2024 campaign. Do you think WFSE members now feel they can trust him to have their backs? As a social worker — this is going to be related, I promise — the therapeutic school that I was brought up in was behaviorism. One of its basic tenets is, 'I don't really care what your motivations are, as long as you do the right thing.' To that end, whether it was genuinely in his heart or whether it was due to the political pressure of our members, whatever reason it was that got that outcome, the outcome is what was important. As far as our members trusting him, obviously, folks are going to be a little bit hesitant. This isn't just the governor. This is any elected official where we have to continue to make it known that we're paying attention, that we'll show up and that we have expectations of our elected officials. When we do that in large enough crowds, they listen and they do the right thing. In the end, did Ferguson do the right thing enough to secure the union's backing for reelection? That's three-and-a-half years away. 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