I was up at the border (Blaine, WA) Tuesday for my Nexus card interview with CBSA (Canadian border agency), and wandered over to Peace Arch State Park afterwards. This park literally extends to the actual US-Canada border, which is a little ditch with a Canadian street on the other side, suburban houses on the other side of that. No fence, nothing but a sign telling you to report to the border station if you walk across. It has always been that way; BC and WA have interacted over this border since it was created (sports exchanges, shopping, friends/families on both sides). Seattle and Vancouver are two great cities to be in, and only around 2 hours apart. BC residents when polled say they have more in common with WA than with anywhere in Canada, by a wide margin, and if they polled WA residents we'd say the same about them compared to most of the USA.
Now, they're not coming over as much. Seattle is expecting 27% fewer Canadian visitors than last year. Whatcom County - the border county - is getting hammered because Canadians aren't coming over to shop. I wish they would - we voted for no leopards (Whatcom is D +20; Seattle is D +80) - but we're part of this country too and will have to take our medicine along with everyone else. Still pisses me off to no end, and likely pisses off the Canadians that, like us, used to cross the border with barely a thought.
Anyway, while I was walking along the border, a cyclist on the Canadian side said "Welcome to Fortress America!" "I'm truly sorry" I replied (I speak fluent Canadian, eh? Sorry.). He responded "Stupid," shook his head and rode off. There was nothing else to say.