The latest statistics from United States Customs and Border Protection for the border crossing at Porthill, Idaho, just south of Creston, show traffic down by approximately 30,000 passenger vehicles. That’s through the end of September, 2025. During that time, 123,000 vehicles crossed at Porthill. The previous year there were 151,000.
That’s a considerable drop for a small border crossing, says David Sims, Director of Economic Development for the Boundary region, which stretches from Porthill to Bonner’s Ferry.
“All of our businesses — retail and services — have some measure of Canadian customers,” he said.
Hotels are especially hard hit. Sims says the latest figures he has from the Kootenai River Inn — a hotel/casino in Bonner’s Ferry — showed a significant decrease.
“At the other hotels, Canadian business is very low. It’s definitely affecting us, unfortunately. All the businesses appreciate our Canadian visitors.”
That appreciation was shown last May when the city of Bonner’s Ferry received a directive from the Idaho Attorney General’s office to remove the Canadian flag from government property. Bonner’s Ferry City Council managed to neatly side step the order because the statute allows flags from foreign countries to be flown to commemorate special occasions. Bonner’s Ferry commemorated a 365 day celebration of Canada and raised the flag again.
Still the number of Canadians crossing the line is down.
It’s been a double whammy for businesses close to the Canadian border, as many were just recovering from the COVID border closure.
“Right now we’re almost back to COVID levels (of visitors). It’s devastating. We only made it through COVID by the grace of God,” said Lars Jacobson, who owns Jake’s Landing in Porthill. “I’m not sure how much longer we can hold on.”
Jake’s landing has a gas station, an event space, a depot where Canadians can pick up parcels, and more.
“Our sign says ’50 feet across the border, hang a right’,” Jacobson said.
The majority of his client base is Canadian and about 90 per cent of those are from Creston.
“They are our neighbours and friends,” he said. “We share the same valley, we are the same community, and have great relationships. It’s very sad all this rhetoric has come between us.”
Jacobson says if he could think of a way to change things, he’d do it.
Sims say it will take time to see any change.
“When the border closed during COVID, visitor behaviour changed,” Sims said. “When the border re-opened, it took a long time to see more visitors. Once people’s attitudes change, it takes time to build it back up. You can’t just flip a switch.”
Of concern lately has been the fear of Canadians encountering difficulty trying to cross the border.
Jacobson says he does still have Canadian visitors and he asks all of them them if they had any troubles.
“They all say no problems, no issues,” he said. “It’s a small crossing and you see the same faces all the time.”
“I haven’t heard of any troubles at the border,” Sims said.
In the meantime, they can only hope that Canadians realize how much they are valued by those in northern Idaho.
“We’re still here. We still love you,” Jacobson said. “We’ve always wanted to provide good service to our Canadian neighbours.”
He says until now he didn’t understand how higher levels of government could have such an extremely negative affect on his business.
“You don’t have to support our administration, but we could support each other,” Jacobson said.