@
prairiepedaler
1) Are you able to pick up in say, Pembina ND?
LOTS cheaper shipping to a US address. A lot if us collect our gear in the US and drive it back as huge savings on driving through versus shipping direct. Maybe a BF member lives near there and could facilitate by allowing the bike to get dropped there for you.
2) If you prepay the seller and they prepay Fedex the duty, when you ship you save the "courtesy fee" (about $40 depending on the courier) that the couriers charge to collect the duty for you. Not a lot, but it helps. If shipper won't do that for you, take bill of sale to Canada Customs at the airport and pay duty there and then present receipt to the courier. USPS doesn't pre-collect duty so if Canada Customs determines there will be duty you'll get an invoice in the mail.
3) Check with bikeflights or shipbike and see if they are cheaper than Fedex. I'd check the USPS online calculator as well though a full bike is big.
4) I doubt that a bus company would work, but you can ship a canoe on some CN trains for $100 so check with the train company. Perhaps you could get the bike shipped to a facilitator in Vancouver and that person could drop it at the train station. There is a direct train from Seattle to Vancouver and Amtrak's website says:
Bicycles
Regular bicycles and unicycles may be shipped on Amtrak Express. Bikes must be securely packed in a box; you may bring your own box or purchase one at the station (call ahead for details and to make sure that boxes are available). Bicycles are generally exempt from Amtrak Express size requirements.
Amtrak boxes were $10 before Covid hit and they are (or were) huge. Loosen stem. Turn bars. Bike in box. Seal box. Ship