Point Roberts, Wash., long prospered as an appendage of Canada. Its economy thrived on sales of gasoline, groceries and alcohol at prices considered a bargain by Canadians, whose frequent visits helped make the border station one of the busiest crossing points between the two countries. Then on March 21, 2020, in response to the pandemic, U.S. and Canadian officials abruptly closed the border to nonessential travel — squeezing the peninsula like a tourniquet. It’s stayed closed ever since. Today, L.A. Times Seattle bureau chief Richard Read brings you the story of a town where life has stopped and is slowly going away — another consequence of the ongoing pandemic.

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