Delta-U.S. border fence removed

A section of chain-link fence put up at the boundary between Delta and the American town of Point Roberts came down Thursday after it sparked several days of controversy for the city.

The fence, erected in Monument Park last week, effectively cut off Point Roberts from its only land connection.

The fence reportedly had nothing to do with border security or crime. Rather, it came after a review by the Delta Police Department into a tragic incident in which a senior went missing and was found dead on the other side of the border in 2023.

But Delta City Coun. Daniel Boisvert says council wasn’t consulted on the fence, and it wasn’t appropriate.

“What I hope now is that, because it did get national attention, that all the other cities that are along the borders take notice of this and go, ‘Hey, this is good. Let’s put something into our procedures to make sure that we don’t do the same thing,’” said Boisvert Thursday.

Boisvert says the fence may have unwittingly violated international law, given that only the International Border Commission can authorize the construction of any form of structure that’s within 3 metres of the boundary.

The fence also generated a minor flurry of controversy over speculation it may have violated the 200-year-old Treaty of Ghent.

As questions about U.S.-Canada border security swirl, Boisvert says he’s glad the controversy is over.

“Canada and United States have been friends for 200 years. And I think we’re going to be great friends for another 200, so let’s make sure that we don’t do anything that may be an affront to that friendship… There’s still security that needs to be done, but the place where we put it? It was inappropriate.”