Facebook page calls for American-only hours at U.S. Costco (at Bellingham, Wash.)

[alp227]

Source: CBC

Many Canadians are taking advantage of the high Canadian dollar by shopping across the border — with cheap milk and gas being two of the big draws — but some Americans are fed up with the cross-border crowd.

Some Bellingham, Wa., residents started a Facebook page calling for American-only hours at the local Costco.

On the Facebook page "Bellingham Costco needs a special time just for Americans," residents write that they have seen flats of milk stripped away in seconds.

Some write that they have to wait in long lines at the Costco gas station as Canadians fill up first their cars, and then their gas cans.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/08/12/bc-bellingham-costco-canadians.html

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I wonder how many people somewhere like San Diego or El Paso would openly call for "American-only" hours at a local business because they don't like those rude, smelly (and in their racist minds, "illegal&quot Mexicans?

[ejpoeta]

1. that is ludicrous. the cross border business is good for the area. We get it in buffalo

from canadians crossing the border. they would do stories about canadians throwing their clothes everywhere and the trash they would leave from their purchases. now there are donation boxes around for them to put their clothes and such. the positive of having the people come to buffalo and spend their money outweighs any negatives as far as i am concerned.

Tell me if the dollar wasn't worth a lot more than the canadian dollar the traffic would be the other way!! i know because I remember going to canada when I was younger and the dollar was worth more there.

[nichomachus]

2. Why do I have the feeling

That when the Canadian dollar was worth way less, those Wasington residents were doing the same thing in reverse.

[Posteritatis]

12. Probably because they were. (nt)

[southernyankeebelle]

51. Your right. How selffish america looks. I lived in MT near Sunburst and the Canadians use

to come on the weekends to shop. Our citizens go over to get their medicines. How sad the reaction of the americans.

[Scootaloo]

3. Christ, what privileged little shits

"Whaaa, I have to wait in line! snivel snivel"

[SoapBox]

4. Another bit of American stoopid.

Man, can these idiots make us look any dumber than we already are?

Maybe CostCo should just shut down that location? That would solve all the problems, right?

Hmm, let's see, many many out of work, the city will have a HUGE lose of property and business tax revenue, the property
would sit empty, not to mention sales tax...and on and on.

The complaining idiots better hope that even more Canadians come to shop in the good old U.S. of A.

[sulphurdunn]

5. Who says wingnuts

only hate minorities? They hate Frogs, Canucks, liberals and democrats too, even if they're white.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

47. Frogs? What group is a Frog from??

<--wants to know

[boppers]

48. Er, seriously?

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=frog

[SemperEadem]

49. France

that is the slang term for a French person.

[lunasun]

56. French Canadians a xenophobic nightmare

Not American and ...they don't (choose to)speak English!!!

maybe they could require the store to ask for passports along with the club card so they could lose the border bizness immediately
Costco should agree if they are " real Americans"

[Manifestor_of_Light]

60. The name I heard for French-Canadians was "Quebecois scum".

[SemperEadem]

61. technically, they are real Americans

Canada is part of North America.

They are not United States citizens.

[lunasun]

62. well then technically the" American only -hours thingy" wont work very well for them that request it

[DBoon]

55. amphibians

the most secret and yet dastardly group covertly supporting the islamo-marxist agenda.

[Mutt22]

6. So maybe Costco just has better prices than Canadian stores?

The exchange rate right now according to Yahoo is:

$1 US = $.9929 Canadian.

Also :

USD/CAD (USDCAD=X)
-CCY
Prev Close: 0.9911
Open: 0.9916
Bid: 0.9929
Ask: 0.9934
Day's Range: 0.9907 - 0.9968
52wk Range: 0.9725 - 1.0656
Quotes delayed, except where indicated otherwise. Currency in CAD.

There doesn't seem to be that big of difference, what am I not getting here?

[jtuck004]

8. Gal of milk canada $4-5. Here, $2 something. Bread cheaper here. Gas cheaper here.

Can pay for the trip buying case lots, cases for others, if it's close enough, iirc.

[Did I Just Type This]

10. 2 something for milk?

I guess it depends on where you live, 4.25 in massachusetts, over five in NY.

[robinlynne]

15. 2.79 in los angeles

[Maine-ah]

18. Milk prices are set by the state.

my husband sells it for a buck less than where you're getting it in MA. Every week the state sends the prices to the retailers. Last week they upped it by a whole penny, making hubby's job a pain in the ass because you can't sell it for less than what the state says.

[jtuck004]

22. Ouch.

$2.74 down the road, and I think Winco was a little lower.

I wonder if it's has to do with subsidies, logistics, or ? But that's the commercial stuff. The smaller dairy, not so processed, local, is $5 or more, depending on who you get it from.

[AngryAmish]

50. There are government run regional milk cartels

You can't sell Wisconsin milk in Florida for example. If you live in a high cost milk producing region then you are stuck.

[Mutt22]

14. Thanks

I thought maybe the dollar was weaker than I thought until I checked currency exchange rates. That explains why they come over. We have cheaper food and gas, they have cheaper medicine.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

21. Costco's in Canada are a ripoff

but Canadian Costco memberships are valid in the US.

[Hyper_Eye]

7. How did we get here?

We are at the point that Canadians are crossing the border to buy cheaper goods in America the same way I remember driving to Juarez (from El Paso) to do the same thing. Next thing you know Americans will be waiting at the border with shopping carts of goods to sell the middle-class Canadians. Hey Congress!!! Can we please stimulate our economy now?!?

[earthside]

52. But that's the problem.

The deficits, debt, quantitive easing, bailouts, loans, stimulus,etc. have devalued the U.S. dollar vis-a-vis the Canadian dollar (for example).

Inflation is taking its toll.

The way to reinvigorate the U.S. economy is not to print even more dollars ... what we really need to do is re-prioritize.

There is plenty of money, but a trillion dollars a year is going into the rathole of homeland/national security, that money needs to be used to cut the debt and rebuild infrastructure. Hundreds of billions of dollars are going to corporate welfare and tax breaks/cuts for the super rich, that money needs to go to shore-up our 'safety net' programs.

We don't need more debt.

But, of course, you and I both know that rearranging our national priorities to the benefit of working people isn't going to happen.

[OrwellwasRight]

58. Wha?????

Um, no. Our "stimulus" efforts were half-hearted at best. They were weak, had a small, but not sufficient stimulant effect, and most certainly have not resulted in inflation. Inflation is low, low, low. It is all the Fed cares about. The Fed needs to get off its ass and have concern about unemployment. It needs to let inflation occur.

You'll know when that happens. It won't be Canadians driving across the corder to save .0002 of a dollar. It will mean a big upswing in US exports and a big decrease in US imports, because our goods will be relatively more cheap (to buyers in more than just Canada) and we will not be able to afford so many imports. That is not on the verge of happening because it is not in Wall street's interest for that to happen. They are the biggest promoters of the strong dollar policy becasue its attracts capital to our financial markets so they can keep playing "monopoly" games with real money.

Workers (debtors) actually benefit from inflation. We should encourage it (within limits of course -- no one wants the Weimar Republic).

[marlakay]

9. Wonder how they felt

When it was cheaper for us to go there....

[RKP5637]

34. I used to go there and always felt welcome. n/t

[dsteve01]

11. Another example of why Government intervention in Markets is Necessary

Do you hear me, REPUBLICAN TICKET?

Can you hear me?

[Posteritatis]

13. How do they intend to enforce that? Check everyone's papers at the door? (nt)

[high density]

16. Costco should open up another store closer to the Canadian border

if it is such a draw for them.

[ZombieHorde]

29. That may actually be a really good idea, if the "problem" is as big as some make it out to be. nt

[RKP5637]

33. Yep!!! n/t

[Posteritatis]

37. They operate up here anyway. There's two in my hometown actually.

Probably depends a lot on specific locations. Maybe they feel they're getting better money with the US business plus the cross-border traffic than if they opened two locations.

[LoisB]

17. ...but it is ok for Americans to go to Canada for cheaper prescription drugs???

If people (Canadians) are carting away flats of milk, why not impose a limit on the # of each item that can be purchased during one visit? Sounds as if anyone buying a flat of milk is buying for resale or for every family in a community.

[dixiegrrrrl]

19. You buy for several people...sorta like Co-Op buying.

Around here, people close to the Fla. border do same thing, cause no sales tax in Fla. on food. Here, 9.5% sales tax, plus higher food prices. A Sunday morning run to a Fla. shopping center can save over 50.00 easily. Even accounting for gas.
So whoever was interested in making a run or had business in Pensacola, would get grocery lists from friends.

[LoisB]

27. Makes sense to me. I would think we would welcome Canadians and anyone else who wants

to spend money in this country.

[RKP5637]

32. It's also supply and demand. Sounds like a situation for more supply if the

demand is up that much. At least IMO.

[Douglas Carpenter]

20. so now we are being plagued by hordes of wild Canadians

I wonder when they'll start stealing our womenfolk?

[aquart]

24. Hopefully, real soon.

Let's all make an effort to catch the eye of every eligible Canadian wheat farmer we can find.

This is not a joke.

[BlueJazz]

36. It's getting pretty bad. I took this shot a few days ago.

[1monster]

23. I know this article has to be bogus, 'cause everyone knows, Canadians are NICE!!!

[cilla4progress]

25. I'm sorry but just came from there

and it is, truly, a zoo...crowded beyond belief; parking lot full of Canadian license plates; 30 min. or so wait for gas. Don't know if there are shortages or not.

So it's all true. Doesn't seem super-equitable, but perhaps it is simply "the market, working" and must be tolerated.

Any suggestions for solutions other than stay away?

[sendero]

26. Expand the store..

.... stock more of the things that run out?

[IndyJones]

39. I would just go to another store. I just did a location search and there are four other stores

within 25 miles or so of that location.

[progressivebydesign]

28. Bad idea. But can we get the Canadians to stop driving like assholes through the Puget Sound area?

The worst, most aggressive, drivers. Ever.

[amandabeech]

43. Worse than the New Jersey drivers I used to dodge when I lived in New York?

Their motion seemed to be random and lane lines seemed to be only suggestions as to where they should drive the vehicle with respect to the curbs.

Off the limited access highways, though, they weren't very fast. Just random.

[davidpdx]

45. If you think the Canadians are bad you haven't seen anything

until you've seen the Chinese drive. It scared the hell out of me.

[hedgehog]

30. I'd be curious as to where the price differential on milk comes from -

Does Canada require that retailers pay farmers enough to ensure a decent profit? Does canada require farmers to pay their workers a decent wage.

Cheap milk in America comes at the expense of the cattle, the farmer and the farm worker!

[sosilly]

44. It is government-related.

It is related to the government trying to protect the dairy farmers:

The decades-old system was designed to protect Canadian farmers from volatile market fluctuations with made-in-Canada minimum prices. It also imposes tariff controls on foreign competition and sets quotas for domestic producers.

http://www.vancouverobserver.com/food/2011/11/20/mystery-behind-high-canadian-cheese-prices-revealed?page=0,0


From what I understand, the problem in this Washington town is that they have a ban on big box retailers thus not allowing Costco to expand the store to accommodate the added shoppers. I can see why Costco wouldn't just build another store....who knows how long this will last. I remember driving over to Canada as a kid in the 70's to get gas. I also remember the exchange rate being heavily in our favor not that long ago where $1US = $1.35CDN. But for now the Canadians are coming here to shop. For now.

[RKP5637]

31. More American Exceptionalism, I guess. n/t

[tawadi]

35. I'm going to go out on a limb here

Is it possible the people of this border town are just tired of the crowds and long lines.

[cilla4progress]

41. You got it!

Siimple. Thanks!

All I can say is the exchange rate must be hella good for Canadians! Eh?!

[IndyJones]

38. Maybe just go to a different Costco?

[MADem]

42. This happens in Maine all the time, too. It saves some of the more economically depressed

towns, frankly. People come for the WALMART and the other shops, get some cheap gas, and then take in a movie or go have a meal.

Any idiot can fire up a facebook page--consider the source.

[davidpdx]

46. This would be a great episode for South Park

I can just hear it now "Oh those damn pushy Canadians are invading OUR grocery stores!"

[mac56]

54. "Blame Canada!"

[Javaman]

53. LOL I'm sure Costco has no problem with the Canadians. nt

[Generic Other]

57. I used to live in B'ham and see it differently

It is a small college town. The locals if they are lucky work at the pulp mill or fish in Alaska. Mostly a blue collar town. Plus lots of marginally employed hippies and artists who are living off the land to some extent or another. The Canadians who flock to the town are a source of income for the big box stores. They are the main reason such stores even got built in the town since the locals probably couldn't have attracted the businesses on their own. The Canadians contribute to the town's economy, but they are also a source of irritation as they cannot help but impact the small town lives they invade.

The main tensions between the locals and Canadians is the volume of traffic generated, the fact that Canadians don't take free right turns when they drive, and the lines they create everywhere. Also, the clear economic differences between the Canadian visitors and the locals. An undercurrent of incivility based on local feelings of being invaded and abused.

I always used to laugh at the sight of the Winnebagos from Canada circling their wagons outside the K-Mart on a Friday night as they waited for the stores to open. The new West--one big strip mall to heaven.

I think the Bellinghamsters are better compared to the Mexicans living in border towns. The Canadians are like American gringos. They bring their dollars and their rules. It is a love/hate relationship between the ruling class and the ruled.

[agent zero]

59. American-only hours? I love it.