Today, Blaine has dozens of businesses handling packages from online commerce. Other businesses followed — including the Starbucks next to Mr. Hill’s gas station, which opened in 2018, and a hemp clothing store called Rawganique. “And then this happened.”“Gas and packages have been the backbone of our economy,” Mr. Ebert, the Chamber of Commerce president, said. When the border first closed, many Canadians figured it would reopen soon, and they kept ordering online goods, the owner, Brant Baron, said. But then the border reopening got pushed back again, and then again, and Canadians stopped ordering as much.

Source: International New York Times July 18, 2020 13:06 UTC