Lovers kept apart by border closures intended to halt the spread of coronavirus are enjoying emotional reunions along the United States-Canada border. The couples have met for romantic ‘look but try not to touch’ dates by remaining in their respective countries while tantalizingly sitting just feet apart from one another.

Julia, 50 and Lynt, 55, regularly get together up at a secret location where Aldergrove, Canada, meets Lyden, USA, with camping chairs, a picnic and board games and are just one of hundreds of couples who are doing the same.

The couple, who did not wish to give their surnames, met online after in April after the border had already closed, but felt such a spark that they have enjoyed a series of dates along the boundary line.

Julia and Lynt, who each have two children from previous relationships, meet on the edge of their respective countries where border police patrol and security cameras look on. And despite being warned not to, the amorous pair have sneaked the occasional kiss and cuddle when no-one is looking.

Julia, who lives in Ferndale, Washington, and met Lynt on an online dating app in April, said: ‘These meetings are so incredibly important to us.

‘We have gotten to know each other extremely well while meeting at the border ditch. We feel like we’ve known each other much longer than we have.

‘We are so grateful to have found each other and thankful to have these two places to meet at to spend time together.  We enjoy each other’s company very much and the time just flies by so fast and we’re so thankful for this time together.  

‘When we met at the border ditch the last time we sat in our chairs on opposite sides of the border and had a picnic with bubbly and cheese and crackers. We talked for hours and also snuck in some hand-holding and kisses.

‘Our love has grown so strong over these last few months of border dates. We’re anxiously awaiting for the border to open so that we can freely drive back and forth to each other’s houses in Canada and the US.’

Teacher, Julia and mechanical engineer Lynt, who moved to Canada from London, England 13 years ago, have been meeting at the border three times a week ever since they started dating in April. They have embarked on an old-fashioned, chaste relationship necessitated by lockdown measures, which has stopped them visiting each other’s home or engaging in any sort of physical intimacy.

Nevertheless, they, like many other cross-border couples and families, have made the best out of a bad situation and have kept the spark alive by hanging out at the border. Julia and Lynt have been meeting up at two main locations, a secret spot they call the ‘border ditch’, near Aldergrove, where the two countries are separated by a rusted barrier, and the more popular Peach Arch Park.

The park, which overlaps from Blaine, Washington into Surrey, Canada, is a unique spot on the border where Canadians can legally cross into the US side of the park to meet up with loved ones without breaching any rules. This is all because of an ancient treaty, signed in 1814, which means the park is considered equal parts American and Canadian ⁠and is used as a shared territory for citizens of both countries to visit.

Whilst the Canadian side of the park is closed, the Canadian authorities can do nothing from stopping people like Lynt from walking across to the US side to meet their loved ones.

‘When we’re at the park we can sit together and play sports and have picnics and talk and listen to music’, said Julia.

‘A friend of mine told me how the park works and walked me there to meet Lynt so we could meet in person for the first time. It has been such a special park for us.

‘When we heard the Canadian side of the park was closing we were so worried and desperate to see each other the next day at the park before it closed.  I literally ran up to Lynt and we hugged so tight and we were feeling so worried and tears were coming to my eyes.

‘Our love for each other made the thought of not getting to see each other in person so difficult.’

Peach Arch Park is patrolled on either side of the border but as long as visitors stay within the 42-acre area, they are permitted to roam freely throughout the grounds. Visitors are asked to follow rules put in place to limit transmission of Covid-19, including staying six feet apart, but few seem to comply.

With no date set for the re-opening of America’s border with Canada and coronavirus cases surging in many parts of the US, Peak Arch Park has proved a lifeline for romances that may have faded because of draconian border closures.

Julia added: ‘We’re anxiously awaiting for the border to open so that we can freely drive back and forth to each other’s houses in Canada and the US.  

‘We only live about 45 minutes drive from each other, and it’s so hard to realize how close we are, but that we can’t cross the border line between our countries even though it’s an invisible line.

‘We are very thankful to have found and met each other and are so happy we can meet at the park though and still spend time together in this place for now.’

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