No, Canada has been very strict about Americans [not] entering. The American ratio of infection is less favourable than Canada's (and we're not great). The Canadian government has put in place very burdensome entry requirements. It has been "normal" for Americans to drive through Canada to get from the "lower 48" to Alaska. They were told: "Okay, but go direct, only refueling stops". Bu there were too many occasions where this was not followed, with American touring around off the route in Canada. Normally, we'd be happy for the tourism, but not just now, and in particular, as doing so violated the spirit of the permission to enter Canada.
The border is not very strictly enforced, and there are places where in past times, one might have snuck in a refueling stop
, but radar coverage is pretty constant now, so I would not try it, neither country's border patrol have any sense of humour at all! As I flew along the Canadian edge of the border (wholly within Canada at all times) a couple of years ago, the American border patrol helicopter shadowed me for 45 minutes, until they could no longer. Then, they had the nerve to ask the Canadian police to phone me to ask me what I'd been doing flying so close to the border. I replied: "Flying my Canadian plane in Canadian airspace, none of the American's business", and that ended that, but, they were watching!
So the poor fellow in the 170 was legal (assuming a flight plan down the B.C. coast), and with more range, he might have done it. At the last minute, it was no longer going to work, and the Canadian penalties would be better than splashing, but he did not make it. Port Angeles is not a place to fool around in the darkness, unless very well prepared, there are a lot of mountains right there. They are easily seen from Victoria B.C.