Relationship with Canada

WHEREAS, Since the foundation of our state, we have shared strong 1
economic, political, and cultural ties to our Canadian neighbors in 2
British Columbia; and 3
WHEREAS, Throughout our history, we've traveled to visit our 4
family members, friends, and colleagues living across our northern 5
border, while they have visited us in return; and 6
WHEREAS, The United States and Canada share the longest peaceful 7
border in history with 166 years of peace along 5,525 miles of 8
border; and 9
WHEREAS, With honor, respect, and acknowledgment, Canada and the 10
United States share a deep and enduring connection with the First 11
Nations and Tribes— the first peoples of both nations — who have upheld 12
agreements with federal governments in recognition of their 13
sovereignty and inherent rights; whose bloodlines, culture, and 14
traditional laws have sustained these lands since time immemorial; 15
and who continue to be essential partners and leaders in economic 16
sustainability within their respective countries and across borders; 17
and 18
WHEREAS, Residents of Point Roberts, Washington, a pene-exclave 19
community, must cross the United States-Canadian border twice to get 20
to school, the doctor's office, and other services, relying heavily 21
on smooth border operations; and 22
SENATE RESOLUTION
8641
By Senators Shewmake, Short, Slatter, Wagoner, Chapman, Boehnke, Cortes, Goehner,
Lovelett, Lovick, MacEwen, Orwall, Salomon, Stanford, Trudeau, Valdez, Warnick, C.
Wilson, Fortunato, and Kauffman
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WHEREAS, British Columbians and Washingtonians have served 1
their countries valiantly together in two world wars and many 2
other conflicts; and 3
WHEREAS, The abundant natural resources and uniquely 4
beautiful landscapes of the Pacific Northwest are core to the 5
identities of those living in this region, regardless of 6
national origin; and 7
WHEREAS, We enjoy the shared economic prosperity from 8
integrated supply chains and thriving maritime, tech, 9
manufacturing, farming, and forestry industries that span across 10
political borders; and 11
WHEREAS, Washington and British Columbia are permanently 12
linked by the Salish Sea, whose waters are unconstrained by 13
national borders; and 14
WHEREAS, The collaboration and flow of ideas between 15
Washington State and British Columbia is essential for our 16
efforts toward marine habitat restoration, natural disaster 17
mitigation, advancing clean technologies, and exploring 18
solutions to regional challenges; and 19
WHEREAS, The nearly eight billion dollars brought in from 20
exports to Canada every year contributes to our resilient 21
economy, and in turn our consumers benefit from the products we 22
import from the north; and 23
WHEREAS, Washingtonians rely on the electrical power shared 24
over our northern border, as well as the oil refined here in 25
Washington and imported from British Columbia; and26
WHEREAS, Border communities particularly benefit from the 27
Canadian tourists visiting our state to visit our restaurants, 28
entertainment, grocery, and retail stores; and 29
WHEREAS, Peace Arch Park in Blaine, which describes our two 30
nations as "children of a common mother," provided a place for 31
loved ones separated by the border closure during the Covid-19 32
pandemic to reunite and visit their friends and family; and33
WHEREAS, Our Canadian neighbors provide aid to our country 34
in times of crisis, lending supplies and volunteers during the 35
Nooksack floods, sending water bombers to combat wildfires, and 36
allowing stranded passengers and planes to take refuge on 37
September 11, 2001; 38
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NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State 1
of Washington recognize the immeasurable value of our 2
interconnected relationship with Canada and its profound impact 3
on the people of Washington State. 4
I, Sarah Bannister, Secretary of the Senate, 5
do hereby certify that this is a true and 6
correct copy of Senate Resolution 8641, 7
adopted by the Senate 8
April 11, 2025 9
SARAH BANNISTER 10
Secretary of the Senate 11
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