Border communities adapt to COVID changes

When the mayor of a village in southern Alberta stares across the border, he sees family and friends who just happen to call Montana home.

The port of entry between Coutts, Alta., and Sweet Grass, Mont., is one of the busiest on the Canada-United States border, an important crossing on a trade route starting in Mexico.

“We are basically twin communities,” says Jim Willett. “The people of the two communities grew up on both sides of the border.”

In similar communities across the country, the relationship with their American neighbours drastically changed when the border closed to most travellers last month to help fight the spread of COVID-19. It’s the first such closure since Confederation in 1867.

It is still open to people and businesses providing essential services.

The economy in many border communities is inherently linked to traffic between the two countries that brings people into cafes, gas stations and grocery stores. It also employs border agents, duty-free staff and brokers.

As the global pandemic worsens south of the border, the crossings that tie communities on either side together are starting to represent fear.

From his front porch, Willett watches streams of semi-trailers pass by. The transport trucks are allowed to cross as they are deemed an essential service, so the economy hasn’t been hit hard yet.

But Willett says there’s concern for people who do business on both sides of the border if it stays closed for too long.