British Columbia and Washington State Establish Interparliamentary Group

Legislators from British Columbia and Washington state signed a friendship accord in Vancouver on January 8, 2026, establishing the British Columbia-Washington State Interparliamentary Group. Co-chaired by Denny Heck, Lieutenant Governor of Washington, and Raj Chouhan, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, the group aims to promote dialogue and share solutions for common issues including housing, tariffs, and cross-border constituency matters.

The group will include legislators from all represented political parties and will hold annual meetings alternating between the two jurisdictions, with the first general meeting scheduled in Washington later in 2026. The agreement follows an agreement-in-principle reached in Victoria in May 2025.

This cooperation comes amid significant regional friction. Trade wars and tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump have prompted British Columbia Premier David Eby to seek diversified trading partners. These tensions, alongside comments from Trump suggesting Canada become the 51st state, contributed to a sharp decline in border crossing traffic during 2025. Additionally, the U.S. government paused negotiations on the Columbia River Treaty in March 2025.

While the group focuses on personal relationships among parliamentarians, the need for coordination was highlighted by environmental crises, such as Nooksack River flooding that damaged infrastructure in the Fraser Valley. Critics note that such long-standing issues and Salish Sea tanker traffic may still require more formal government-to-government action than this working group provides.