PORT ANGELES — Peninsula residents are planning to celebrate and support the Port Angeles-Victoria relationship when the Black Ball Ferry Coho ferry reopens on Thursday.
Although the celebration was planned before tensions started to rise between Canada and the United States, Port Angeles Waterfront District (PAWD) Executive Director Sam Grello said the celebration has gained importance in recent weeks.
“We’re hoping that we’re able to just impress upon Victoria the importance that we see with their community, the link between their community and our community,” he said.
The two municipalities have been linked by the Coho since 1959. It has transported about 26 million passengers between the countries during that time, according to the Times Colonist.
A 2019 report found that the tourists who travel on the ferry bring about $64 million into the local economy and directly support more than 620 non-ferry jobs.
“I think it’s important that we really highlight our interconnected region in this moment,” Grello said.
The PAWD traditionally celebrates the return of the Coho whenever it is closed for more than two consecutive weeks, Grello said. The last celebration occurred when the border reopened after COVID shutdowns.
The Coho has been closed since the first week of January, both for annual maintenance and to replace fenders at the Port Angeles dock.
Due to the extended closure, Grello said plans for a welcome-back party already were underway when President Donald Trump began implementing tariffs against Canada and calling for it to become the 51st state.
Many Canadians are boycotting the U.S. in response to those actions. One poll found that more than half of Canadians were ready to cancel or avoid traveling to the United States.
The situation has “invoked a sense of nationalistic pride” among Canadians, Grello said. He hopes the celebration will help restore neighborly sentiments between the two municipalities.
When the Trump administration began discussing tariffs and statehood, Grello said he realized “it was important to do something a little bit bigger” than the PAWD usually does.
This year’s event will include Canadian flags, some sort of live music and an “Ask an American” booth.
The booth will be “a good opportunity to just cut through the nationalist messaging,” Grello said. “We really are game to just talk about anything that is going on and encourage dialogue between our two communities.”
Grello is also asking downtown merchants to offer Canadians deals or discounts during the month of March, provided they show their driver’s license or passport.
“Part of what we’re doing right now is just a gesture to show we’re still friendly over here,” he said.
Anyone is welcome to show up in support of the relationships between these two jurisdictions, Grello said. He asked that people wear red or white shirts and, if they bring signs, make sure they’re cheeky and fun — not political.
“We’re trying to have some fun with it,” he said. “Signs like, ‘we’re loony for you.’”
The intent is to celebrate, not to protest, he added.
While Grello said he knows the event won’t move the dial on the national relationship between Canada and the United States, he’s trying to provide a sense of stability in this local relationship.
Port Angeles and Victoria are both more than 2,500 miles away from their respective capitals, Grello said, while they’re only separated from each other by about 22 miles.
“Our neighbors are right across the strait,” he said. “This moment will pass, and Victoria will still be 22 miles away.”
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Reporter Emma Maple can be reached by email at emma.maple@peninsuladailynews.com.
