February 3 - 9, 2022
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Birch Bay-Lynden repair has new timeline, page 3
42nd district senate race heats up, page 5
Hawkins looks back on city council years, page 10
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
City closes deal on Peace Portal Drive property By Grace McCarthy
(See Sale, page 3)
s Be Brave Washington co-founder Misty Flowers speaks to protestors supporting Canadian truckers against the Covid-19 vaccine mandate at Peace Arch State Park on January 29. The Bellingham-based group helped organize the event at the park that drew nearly 200 attendees, some of whom crossed state lines for the event. Photo by Grace McCarthy
Protestors support Canadian truck convoy against vaccine mandate By Ian Haupt As Canadian truckers and their supporters traveled to the nation’s capital this weekend to protest their government’s vaccination mandate, others protested mandates and border restrictions at Peace Arch State Park in support. Nearly 200 people protested under the Peace Arch in support of the “Freedom Convoy” headed to Ottawa on January 29, some reportedly coming from as far as northern Oregon and Idaho. News quickly spread last week that hundreds of truckers were headed for Par-
liament Hill in Ottawa to protest the vaccine requirement to cross the U.S./Canada border that went into effect January 15. The rally of trucks was being called the “Freedom Convoy.” But as more anti-vaccination supporters joined on, the demonstration grew to represent an overarching voice against government-imposed public health mandates and gained supporters from across the border. Be Brave Washington, a Bellingham-based group working to end emergency orders in Whatcom County, organized the event at the park with help from other organizations such as Nooksack Val-
Development at former airport site to bring McDonald’s, Taco Bell and retail By Ian Haupt Big Macs and Crunchwrap Supremes will soon be easily available to Blaine residents, as plans for development of the former airport site show McDonald’s and Taco Bell are coming to town. White-Leasure Development Company has submitted its building permit application to begin development of the fiveacre parcel at the southeast corner of the
truck route and H Street it bought from the city in September 2019. The parcel will be divided into five different lots, two of which McDonald’s and Taco Bell have spoken for. White-Leasure development operations vice president Ken Lenz said the other three lots are still for sale. He said his goal is to have businesses open by the end of the year. “McDonald’s and Taco Bell are eager to get going,” he said. “They want to be
open before November.” But White-Leasure is waiting on permit approval from the city before its contractor can start construction. Lenz said he hopes they can break ground by mid-February. White-Leasure is a general contractor and real estate services company based in Boise, Idaho. It specializes in retail (See Airport, page 7)
ley Parent Coalition, Be Brave Washington co-founder Misty Flowers said. “Our goal was to stand with truckers against mandates,” Flowers said. “People are concerned with the ongoing mandates and working together to try to get our lives back.” The main rally was held at noon at the Peace Arch, but protestors also lined along the truck route intersection at H Street. Through social media sharing, people around Washington and neighboring states caught wind of the protest and drove (See Mandate, page 2)
INSIDE
A downtown waterfront lot will soon be built out, now that Bosporus Properties Inc. purchased the 665 Peace Portal Drive property from the city of Blaine for $300,000. The deal closed January 31 after having its feasibility period extended several times. Blaine-based Bosporus Properties entered a purchase and sale agreement with the city in June 2021 after Nimbus Properties LLC rescinded its offer on the property that May. Blaine City Council extended the original feasibility period to September 20 and then again to November 30 because of difficulties developing on the west side of Peace Portal Drive. City council granted a final feasibility period extension when given options at the December 13, 2021 meeting to either extend the feasibility period, terminate the contract and remarket the property or terminate the contract and not immediately market the property. Bosporus Properties co-owner Hugh Wiebe said the property will likely become a residential rental building, but the developers are still finalizing what they will build. “We’re still trying to decide what to do there,” Wiebe said. Wiebe founded natural food company Creation Foods, which employs 100 people in its two factories on Odell Road. He also owns A-Z Storage and Harbor Side Apartments in Blaine. Wiebe said his business partner, Duane Cressman, has been a large push on the deal. Cressman co-founded Cressman Homes, a luxury home builder in Abbotsford, B.C. The city spent $283,000 to demolish the building previously located at 665 Peace Portal Drive in 2019. To hasten economic development, the city offered Bosporus two 6-percent rebates along with the $300,000 offer. Bosporus will receive a rebate when it submits a mixed-use building permit within the next six months as well as when the city gives Bosporus an occu-
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