US Border Communities Feel Loss of Canadian Shoppers, Tourists, and Friends

A Canada-U.S. border marker is seen in Surrey, B.C., as people gather at Peace Arch Historical State Park in Blaine, Wash., on July 5, 2020. Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press

FREDERICTON—The COVID-19 pandemic has put cross-border shopping trips and vacations on hold since March, and many American businesses along the border say they miss both the revenue and the familiar Canadian faces.

Bill Kilby, manager of Hardwick’s Country Store in Calais, Maine, has seen a dramatic 90 percent loss in revenue and had to lay off 10 employees.