Just curious

[skyscraper03]

I don't know and have never studied the stories about when & why they established the border between Canada and the United States there.
But, I think this is really odd. For example, to get Point Roberts by land from the rest of Washington state, Americans have to make two border crossings and drive through 23 miles of Canada.

Don't you think should be a part of BC? I think they should exchange some islands or lands in Northern BC or something like that for Point Roberts since it is a very important location for Greater Vancouver District. Look at the stretched out ports in Tsawwassen. They could have just built them near the tip of Point Roberts.

[Huhu]

Obviously the Brits didn't give a crap when they were drawing the border. Same deal with the Alaska Panhandle and islands in the strait.

[D J M K]

now, if i remember high school history....

prior to 1850, this whole area was under the British North America but was really under control of HBC. and then the US made its own territorial extension creating sovereignty issues. in 1846, the oregon treaty was signed creating the border along the 49th parallel up to Georgia Straight, with all of the gulf islands and vancouver island belonging not to the Americans.

[skyscraper03]

Originally Posted by D J M K

now, if i remember high school history....

prior to 1850, this whole area was under the British North America but was really under control of HBC. and then the US made its own territorial extension creating sovereignty issues. in 1846, the oregon treaty was signed creating the border along the 49th parallel up to Georgia Straight, with all of the gulf islands and vancouver island belonging not to the Americans.

Thanks for the information. I'm just curious if it is possible for BC or the Federal government to purchase the land (Port Roberts). Don't the BC people feel uneasy since there is such a foreign territory right beside the biggest city in the province? I guess the 49th parallel line is fine, but the southern little tip of the peninsula looks really and supper odd to me. It almost looks like Stanley Park is American territory and all the other parts of Greater Vancouver is in Canada.

[officedweller]

There's also another penninsula in Ontario (or MB?) that is stranded like that too.

[spongeg]

why?

its not that big a deal - most of the houses there are or used to be owned by Canadians

more and more americans are choosing to live there now though

Victoria would have been part of the USA if the 49th parellel thing went ahead

so it was like a concession to give them point roberts etc

[skyscraper03]

Originally Posted by spongeg

why?

its not that big a deal - most of the houses there are or used to be owned by Canadians

more and more americans are choosing to live there now though

Victoria would have been part of the USA if the 49th parellel thing went ahead

so it was like a concession to give them point roberts etc

I see. I was just wondering because it looked very sad every time I see a map of Greater Vancouver. No offense at all (or perhaps it can not be an offense), but Vancouver is apparently a border city. And, the fact that Western Canada's biggest and most important metro is located right beside a border is a shocking thing actually. I don't think it's like New York City located beside the state border. So I thought (maybe like a child?) that if Point Roberts was a part of the peninsula in BC cleanly, it would make little more sense and look less sad. At least I think the government people wouldn't let Toronto, Canada's financial and cultural capital, be located that close to a border.

[Yellow Fever]

Pt Robert is too small to fuss about. If it was the size of ,say, Vancouver island, then it would be a different story.

[vanboy2]

I know that Vancouver name after Captain George Vancouver.How about Vancouver in seatle,is it the same reason? Thanks

[Huhu]

Originally Posted by vanboy2

I know that Vancouver name after Captain George Vancouver.How about Vancouver in seatle,is it the same reason? Thanks

Yes it's named after the same British captain who explored up and down the Pacific coast. Vancouver, Washington is actually right next to Portland, Oregon and not Seattle. It used to be called "Fort Vancouver" a long time ago and served as an HBC trading post back when the whole area was still in dispute between the US and UK. The fort existed decades before Vancouver, BC was settled and incorporated as a city.