US cancels Canadians’ direct access to Haskell Library across border, citing security, as new entrance built amid bilateral tensions.
STANSTEAD: The Trump administration has terminated a century-old arrangement allowing Canadians to enter a unique library that straddles the US-Canada border without passing through customs.
Workers in this picturesque Quebec town are constructing a new entrance for Canadians after the United States canceled direct cross-border access to the Haskell Free Library.
President Donald Trump’s administration cited the need to counter “illicit cross-border activities” as justification for ending the special access.
Sylvie Boudreau, president of the library’s board of trustees, said the announcement caused widespread anger on both sides of the border.
“This marks the end of something significant,” she told AFP while standing on the black line inside the library that demarcates the international boundary.
Canadian access to the library had been temporarily restricted before following the September 11 attacks and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The current decision represents the first permanent end to an arrangement that symbolized enduring US-Canada unity for residents of Stanstead.
Derby Line resident Jonas Horsky expressed nostalgia for the days of unencumbered cross-border travel through the library.
“We’ve always been united and visited each other freely, but now we must carry our passports constantly,” the 41-year-old Franco-American said.
Canadian Erica Masotto described the experience of entering through what was formerly the library’s emergency exit as strange and troubling.
She questioned the underlying message of the change by asking why this sudden mistrust has emerged between the neighbouring nations.
The library access change reflects broader deterioration in US-Canada relations under Trump’s second term.
Trump’s repeated musings about annexing Canada have enraged Canadians across the political spectrum.
His tariff policies have triggered job losses across multiple key Canadian economic sectors.
The president recently terminated trade talks after Ontario province produced an anti-tariff advertisement.
Prime Minister Mark Carney acknowledged the permanent rupture in economic ties while outlining Canada’s upcoming budget.
He stated unequivocally that the US-Canada relationship would never return to its previous state.
Canadian travel statistics show a marked decrease in visits to the United States amid the bilateral tensions.
Retiree Marc Samson confirmed this trend by stating that he and his wife no longer visit the United States despite living directly on the border.
He expressed hope that political change in Washington could eventually restore normal cross-border relations.
Boudreau acknowledged that the library changes represent a physical end to a unique era of cross-border closeness.
She insisted that the sense of community and friendship between border residents has actually strengthened through this challenging period. – AFP
