B.C. shoppers go 'pro-Canada' while U.S. crossings continue steep decline
According to Square, 56 per cent of B.C. holiday shoppers say they will be “pro–Canadian” this Black Friday.
Locally owned businesses may see a boost, with 67 per cent sharing that they will allocate more of their holiday budgets to buying local, and 59 per cent of those shoppers stating that they are willing to spend up to 50 per cent more to buy Canadian.
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The holiday season used to be a busy time for British Columbians taking day trips to the U.S. to stock up on gifts, but recent data show that visits to Washington state from B.C. have continued their sharp drop.
The Whatcom Council of Governments’ 2025 Changes in Border Volume data shows that in October 2025, the volume of southbound vehicles from B.C. to Washington state is down by 37 per cent compared to the same period in 2024.
Whatcom Council of Governments
Recent data released by Statistics Canada also show a continued decline in travel between the countries, both by land and air.
“In October, the number of Canadian-resident return trips by automobile from the United States totalled 1.4 million, a steep decline (30.5 per cent) from the same month in 2024, marking the 10th consecutive month of year-over-year declines,” said Statistics Canada in its report.
Are you avoiding travel to Washington State or the U.S. this holiday season? Will you be shopping locally for everyone on your gift list? Let us know in the comments or get in touch at vancouver@dailyhive.com.