[connect2source]

One Degree South :

Development up until the 1980's 1990's would be much the same. The early development was centred around Vancouver Harbour and expanded south and east so perhaps as South Surrey and Abbotsford's expansion become more and more influenced by the border, the densification of these two area will be the first major developmental influences of the border and in the years moving forward the shape of our southern suburbs will take on a linear 'border' effect not seen before. If the 48th was, therefore, our border, South Surrey, Abbotsford and Langley expansion would drift south in a more organic form and likely far less dense. The 49th will ultimately be the driving influence in the density of many of our southern areas moving forward.

It would likely also mean less cross border shopping too and less of a drain on greater Vancouver retail.

Bellingham, being a natural harbour, would likely be Metro Vancouver's second port city and have far greater importance and likely be far larger and more economically vital, there perhaps would have been no Deltaport as a result. The principal ferry terminal would likely be in the Bellingham area as well providing a more direct route to Victoria and the deep water harbour would have allowed more direct access to a north-south freeway such as present day I-5 ( 99 ).

Geographically, Greater Vancouver would have also benefitted greatly from having the complete Fraser Valley and not just the northern portion, giving us a far greater area of valuable farmland, that plus the Skagit Valley would have made coastal BC a major agriculture producer.