STANSTEAD, Quebec (AP) — For more than 100 years, people in Stanstead, Quebec
have been able to walk into Derby Line, Vermont to enter the border-straddling
Haskell Free Library and Opera House – no passport required.
https://ibb.co/3YNCz3BV
But municipal and library officials said on Friday that U.S. authorities have unilaterally decided to end the century-old unwritten agreement. Coming at a time of heightened tensions between the two countries, the decision is prompting an outpouring of emotion in communities on both sides of the border,
which in places has been marked simply by flower pots.
Inside the library celebrated as a symbol of international friendship, Pauline
Lussier and Chris Blais put their arms around each other's shoulders Friday as
they stood on either side of the line taped down the floor marking the border.
Lussier, a Canadian, and Blais, an American met for the first time that day.
https://ibb.co/b5KW402g
"A line doesn't separate us, it never has," said Blais, who held an American flag in her hands while Lussier held a Canadian one.
"Our kids have gone back and forth over this border without any problem at all... this is all going to change now, and there's no reason for this," Blais
added.
Once inside the library, Canadian and American citizens have been able to mingle freely across the border line drawn on the floor – as long as they return to the proper country afterward. In 2016, then-president Barack Obama hailed the symbolic importance of the library, built in 1901. "A resident of one of these border towns once said, 'We're two different countries, but we're
like one big town,'" Obama said.
A spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, CBP, confirmed that the
divide is about to become more pronounced. Starting in the coming days, only library card holders and employees will be able to cross over from Canada to enter the building through the main door on the U.S. side.
And as of Oct. 1, no Canadians will be able to enter the library via the United States without going through the border checkpoint, though there will be exceptions for law enforcement, emergency services, mail delivery, official
workers and those with disabilities.
The statement acknowledged the library as a "unique landmark", but said the border agency was phasing in a new approach for security reasons.
"Due to the library's location, and convenience of local populations, CBP has allowed customers of the library to access its sidewalk, without inspection, for decades," the agency said in a statement. "However, during that time, this
area has witnessed a continued rise in illicit cross-border activity."
It noted there have been a number of incidents in and around the library that resulted in apprehensions in recent years, including a person attempting to smuggle firearms in the past year.
Town and library officials say Canadian visitors without a library card will have to enter by a back door on the Canadian side, across a muddy stretch of grass. The library announced Friday that it was launching a GoFundMe to raise the estimated $100,000 Canadian (US$69,000) it will cost to build a sidewalk, new parking lot, and wheelchair access.
https://apnews.com/article/canada-america-library-vermont-quebec-7c4851c705d18e0cc891c3ce085e15e4
BTR1701 <[email protected]> wrote:
STANSTEAD, Quebec (AP) - For more than 100 years, people in Stanstead, Quebec
have been able to walk into Derby Line, Vermont to enter the border-straddling
Haskell Free Library and Opera House - no passport required.
https://ibb.co/3YNCz3BV
But municipal and library officials said on Friday that U.S. authorities have
unilaterally decided to end the century-old unwritten agreement. Coming at a >> time of heightened tensions between the two countries, the decision is
prompting an outpouring of emotion in communities on both sides of the border,
which in places has been marked simply by flower pots.
Thank gawd. It's important to spend $10s of millions on preventing
illicit Canadians from entering Vermont in order to patronize a library.
This has been an outrage for more than a century.
Riverdale for six seasons on the CW (must die) exposed the horrors of
maple syrup trafficking disguising manufactured illicit drug smuggling.
Let's keep all that all that hockey hullabaloo on the other side
of the border!
STANSTEAD, Quebec (AP) - For more than 100 years, people in Stanstead, Quebec >have been able to walk into Derby Line, Vermont to enter the border-straddling >Haskell Free Library and Opera House - no passport required.
https://ibb.co/3YNCz3BV
But municipal and library officials said on Friday that U.S. authorities have >unilaterally decided to end the century-old unwritten agreement. Coming at a >time of heightened tensions between the two countries, the decision is >prompting an outpouring of emotion in communities on both sides of the border, >which in places has been marked simply by flower pots.
. . .
On 2025-03-23 12:23 PM, Adam H. Kerman wrote:
. . .
Let's keep all that all that hockey hullabaloo on the other side
of the border!
Are you going to tell American hockey fans that hockey is being banished
from America or do you want me to do that? ;-)
I *know* Chicago has a hockey team and that some of them actually travel
to Canada to watch their team play there. (I once chatted with a
Chicagoan on a flight from Toronto to Chicago who told me she was on her
way back from a game the previous night.) I expect people like that may
be miffed with you if they found out you had closed the border to hockey ;-)
BTR1701 <[email protected]> wrote:
STANSTEAD, Quebec (AP) - For more than 100 years, people in Stanstead, Quebec
have been able to walk into Derby Line, Vermont to enter the
border-straddling
Haskell Free Library and Opera House - no passport required.
https://ibb.co/3YNCz3BV
But municipal and library officials said on Friday that U.S. authorities have
unilaterally decided to end the century-old unwritten agreement. Coming at a >> time of heightened tensions between the two countries, the decision is
prompting an outpouring of emotion in communities on both sides of the
border,
which in places has been marked simply by flower pots.
Thank gawd. It's important to spend $10s of millions on preventing
illicit Canadians from entering Vermont in order to patronize a library.
This has been an outrage for more than a century.
Riverdale for six seasons on the CW (must die) exposed the horrors of
maple syrup trafficking disguising manufactured illicit drug smuggling.
Let's keep all that all that hockey hullabaloo on the other side
of the border!
Rhino <[email protected]> wrote:
On 2025-03-23 12:23 PM, Adam H. Kerman wrote:
. . .
Let's keep all that all that hockey hullabaloo on the other side
of the border!
Are you going to tell American hockey fans that hockey is being banished >>from America or do you want me to do that? ;-)
I *know* Chicago has a hockey team and that some of them actually travel
to Canada to watch their team play there. (I once chatted with a
Chicagoan on a flight from Toronto to Chicago who told me she was on her
way back from a game the previous night.) I expect people like that may
be miffed with you if they found out you had closed the border to hockey ;-)
Chicago has had a championship hockey team in recent memory. However,
they've been so dreadful in the last couple of seasons, the NHL was contemplating reforming without the current Chicago franchise.
On Mar 23, 2025 at 9:23:50 AM PDT, ""Adam H. Kerman""<[email protected]> wrote:
BTR1701 <[email protected]> wrote:
STANSTEAD, Quebec (AP) - For more than 100 years, people in Stanstead, Quebec
have been able to walk into Derby Line, Vermont to enter the border-straddling
Haskell Free Library and Opera House - no passport required.
https://ibb.co/3YNCz3BV
But municipal and library officials said on Friday that U.S. authorities have
unilaterally decided to end the century-old unwritten agreement. Coming at a
time of heightened tensions between the two countries, the decision is prompting an outpouring of emotion in communities on both sides of the border,
which in places has been marked simply by flower pots.
Thank gawd. It's important to spend $10s of millions on preventing
illicit Canadians from entering Vermont in order to patronize a library. This has been an outrage for more than a century.
Not to mention, they leave a sticky residue of maple syrup everywhere they go.
Riverdale for six seasons on the CW (must die) exposed the horrors of
maple syrup trafficking disguising manufactured illicit drug smuggling.
Let's keep all that all that hockey hullabaloo on the other side
of the border!
And that bitch Anne Murray, too!
STANSTEAD, Quebec (AP) — For more than 100 years, people
in Stanstead, Quebec have been able to walk into Derby
Line, Vermont to enter the border-straddling Haskell Free
Library and Opera House – no passport required.
https://ibb.co/3YNCz3BV
But municipal and library officials said on Friday that
U.S. authorities have unilaterally decided to end the
century-old unwritten agreement. Coming at a time of
heightened tensions between the two countries, the
decision is prompting an outpouring of emotion in
communities on both sides of the border, which in places
has been marked simply by flower pots.
Inside the library celebrated as a symbol of international
friendship, Pauline Lussier and Chris Blais put their arms
around each other's shoulders Friday as they stood on
either side of the line taped down the floor marking the
border. Lussier, a Canadian, and Blais, an American met
for the first time that day.
https://ibb.co/b5KW402g
"A line doesn't separate us, it never has," said Blais,
who held an American flag in her hands while Lussier held
a Canadian one.
"Our kids have gone back and forth over this border
without any problem at all... this is all going to change
now, and there's no reason for this," Blais added.
Once inside the library, Canadian and American citizens
have been able to mingle freely across the border line
drawn on the floor – as long as they return to the proper
country afterward. In 2016, then-president Barack Obama
hailed the symbolic importance of the library, built in
1901. "A resident of one of these border towns once said,
'We're two different countries, but we're like one big
town,'" Obama said.
A spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection,
CBP, confirmed that the divide is about to become more
pronounced. Starting in the coming days, only library card
holders and employees will be able to cross over from
Canada to enter the building through the main door on the
U.S. side.
And as of Oct. 1, no Canadians will be able to enter the
library via the United States without going through the
border checkpoint, though there will be exceptions for law
enforcement, emergency services, mail delivery, official
workers and those with disabilities.
The statement acknowledged the library as a "unique
landmark", but said the border agency was phasing in a new
approach for security reasons.
"Due to the library's location, and convenience of local
populations, CBP has allowed customers of the library to
access its sidewalk, without inspection, for decades," the
agency said in a statement. "However, during that time,
this area has witnessed a continued rise in illicit
cross-border activity."
It noted there have been a number of incidents in and
around the library that resulted in apprehensions in
recent years, including a person attempting to smuggle
firearms in the past year.
Town and library officials say Canadian visitors without a
library card will have to enter by a back door on the
Canadian side, across a muddy stretch of grass. The
library announced Friday that it was launching a GoFundMe
to raise the estimated $100,000 Canadian (US$69,000) it
will cost to build a sidewalk, new parking lot, and
wheelchair access.
https://apnews.com/article/canada-america-library-vermont-quebec-7c4851c705d18e0cc891c3ce085e15e4
STANSTEAD, Quebec (AP) — For more than 100 years, people
in Stanstead, Quebec have been able to walk into Derby
Line, Vermont to enter the border-straddling Haskell Free
Library and Opera House – no passport required.
https://ibb.co/3YNCz3BV
But municipal and library officials said on Friday that
U.S. authorities have unilaterally decided to end the
century-old unwritten agreement. Coming at a time of
heightened tensions between the two countries, the
decision is prompting an outpouring of emotion in
communities on both sides of the border, which in places
has been marked simply by flower pots.
Inside the library celebrated as a symbol of international
friendship, Pauline Lussier and Chris Blais put their arms
around each other's shoulders Friday as they stood on
either side of the line taped down the floor marking the
border. Lussier, a Canadian, and Blais, an American met
for the first time that day.
https://ibb.co/b5KW402g
"A line doesn't separate us, it never has," said Blais,
who held an American flag in her hands while Lussier held
a Canadian one.
"Our kids have gone back and forth over this border
without any problem at all... this is all going to change
now, and there's no reason for this," Blais added.
Once inside the library, Canadian and American citizens
have been able to mingle freely across the border line
drawn on the floor – as long as they return to the proper
country afterward. In 2016, then-president Barack Obama
hailed the symbolic importance of the library, built in
1901. "A resident of one of these border towns once said,
'We're two different countries, but we're like one big
town,'" Obama said.
A spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection,
CBP, confirmed that the divide is about to become more
pronounced. Starting in the coming days, only library card
holders and employees will be able to cross over from
Canada to enter the building through the main door on the
U.S. side.
And as of Oct. 1, no Canadians will be able to enter the
library via the United States without going through the
border checkpoint, though there will be exceptions for law
enforcement, emergency services, mail delivery, official
workers and those with disabilities.
The statement acknowledged the library as a "unique
landmark", but said the border agency was phasing in a new
approach for security reasons.
"Due to the library's location, and convenience of local
populations, CBP has allowed customers of the library to
access its sidewalk, without inspection, for decades," the
agency said in a statement. "However, during that time,
this area has witnessed a continued rise in illicit
cross-border activity."
It noted there have been a number of incidents in and
around the library that resulted in apprehensions in
recent years, including a person attempting to smuggle
firearms in the past year.
Town and library officials say Canadian visitors without a
library card will have to enter by a back door on the
Canadian side, across a muddy stretch of grass. The
library announced Friday that it was launching a GoFundMe
to raise the estimated $100,000 Canadian (US$69,000) it
will cost to build a sidewalk, new parking lot, and
wheelchair access.
https://apnews.com/article/canada-america-library-vermont-quebec-7c4851c705d18e0cc891c3ce085e15e4
Just a follow-up to the story.
As of yesterday, the library has received over $150,000
in donations to be used to add an entrance on the Canadian
side of the building plus a parking area on the Canadian
side.
Louise Penny, a Canadian author (of a mystery series I
enjoy) who lives in a nearby region of Quebec, contributed
$50,000 to the fund.
I hope that the Canadian patrons of the library can eventually
enjoy the facility without any additional hassles from the
customs and immigration folks, but I guess we'll see what
happens.
Nyssa, who hopes for the best, but these days figures on the
not-so-good happening instead
Nyssa <[email protected]> wrote:
Just a follow-up to the story.
As of yesterday, the library has received over $150,000
in donations to be used to add an entrance on the Canadian
side of the building plus a parking area on the Canadian
side.
Louise Penny, a Canadian author (of a mystery series I
enjoy) who lives in a nearby region of Quebec, contributed
$50,000 to the fund.
I hope that the Canadian patrons of the library can
eventually enjoy the facility without any additional
hassles from the customs and immigration folks, but I
guess we'll see what happens.
Nyssa, who hopes for the best, but these days figures on
the not-so-good happening instead
What a complete waste of money, and I suppose this cuts
off the economy of the two neighboring towns in half.
Nyssa <[email protected]> wrote:
Just a follow-up to the story.
As of yesterday, the library has received over $150,000
in donations to be used to add an entrance on the Canadian
side of the building plus a parking area on the Canadian
side.
Louise Penny, a Canadian author (of a mystery series I
enjoy) who lives in a nearby region of Quebec, contributed
$50,000 to the fund.
I hope that the Canadian patrons of the library can eventually
enjoy the facility without any additional hassles from the
customs and immigration folks, but I guess we'll see what
happens.
Nyssa, who hopes for the best, but these days figures on the
not-so-good happening instead
What a complete waste of money, and I suppose this cuts off the economy
of the two neighboring towns in half.
Adam H. Kerman wrote:
Nyssa <[email protected]> wrote:
Just a follow-up to the story.
As of yesterday, the library has received over $150,000
in donations to be used to add an entrance on the Canadian
side of the building plus a parking area on the Canadian
side.
Louise Penny, a Canadian author (of a mystery series I
enjoy) who lives in a nearby region of Quebec, contributed
$50,000 to the fund.
I hope that the Canadian patrons of the library can
eventually enjoy the facility without any additional
hassles from the customs and immigration folks, but I
guess we'll see what happens.
Nyssa, who hopes for the best, but these days figures on
the not-so-good happening instead
What a complete waste of money, and I suppose this cuts
off the economy of the two neighboring towns in half.
???
The money was from voluntary contributions from people
who care about making the library available to all the
residents on both sides of the border.
No government money from either country is involved in
the planned work on the Canadian side.
. . .
On Mar 27, 2025 at 7:41:12 AM PDT, ""Adam H. Kerman"" <[email protected]> wrote:
Nyssa <[email protected]> wrote:
Just a follow-up to the story.
As of yesterday, the library has received over $150,000
in donations to be used to add an entrance on the Canadian
side of the building plus a parking area on the Canadian
side.
Louise Penny, a Canadian author (of a mystery series I
enjoy) who lives in a nearby region of Quebec, contributed
$50,000 to the fund.
I hope that the Canadian patrons of the library can eventually
enjoy the facility without any additional hassles from the
customs and immigration folks, but I guess we'll see what
happens.
Nyssa, who hopes for the best, but these days figures on the
not-so-good happening instead
What a complete waste of money, and I suppose this cuts off the economy
of the two neighboring towns in half.
I found another spot several miles east of that town where the border seems to
cross through the front yard of someone's home on the American side and CBP seems to have come along and blocked off the road running next to their home and to prevent people from just driving around the road block, they also seem to have put a bunch of boulders across the yard of the homeowner.
https://ibb.co/4wdQr3jc
I wonder if that's considered a taking and if the government had to pay them to put a barricade through their property.
Adam H. Kerman wrote:
Nyssa <[email protected]> wrote:
Just a follow-up to the story.
As of yesterday, the library has received over $150,000
in donations to be used to add an entrance on the Canadian
side of the building plus a parking area on the Canadian
side.
Louise Penny, a Canadian author (of a mystery series I
enjoy) who lives in a nearby region of Quebec, contributed
$50,000 to the fund.
I hope that the Canadian patrons of the library can
eventually enjoy the facility without any additional
hassles from the customs and immigration folks, but I
guess we'll see what happens.
Nyssa, who hopes for the best, but these days figures on
the not-so-good happening instead
What a complete waste of money, and I suppose this cuts
off the economy of the two neighboring towns in half.
???
The money was from voluntary contributions from people
who care about making the library available to all the
residents on both sides of the border.
No government money from either country is involved in
the planned work on the Canadian side.
All so the library can be used by residents on both
sides of the line as it has been for over a century.
BTW Ms. Penny also announced that she has cancelled
a planned book tour in the US that was to occur later
this year. She didn't feel that touring the US when
they were threathening Canada with tariffs, etc. was
the proper thing to do at this time.
On Mar 27, 2025 at 8:49:35 AM PDT, "Nyssa" <[email protected]> wrote:
Adam H. Kerman wrote:
Nyssa <[email protected]> wrote:
Just a follow-up to the story.
As of yesterday, the library has received over $150,000
in donations to be used to add an entrance on the Canadian
side of the building plus a parking area on the Canadian
side.
Louise Penny, a Canadian author (of a mystery series I
enjoy) who lives in a nearby region of Quebec, contributed
$50,000 to the fund.
I hope that the Canadian patrons of the library can
eventually enjoy the facility without any additional
hassles from the customs and immigration folks, but I
guess we'll see what happens.
Nyssa, who hopes for the best, but these days figures on
the not-so-good happening instead
What a complete waste of money, and I suppose this cuts
off the economy of the two neighboring towns in half.
???
The money was from voluntary contributions from people
who care about making the library available to all the
residents on both sides of the border.
No government money from either country is involved in
the planned work on the Canadian side.
All so the library can be used by residents on both
sides of the line as it has been for over a century.
BTW Ms. Penny also announced that she has cancelled
a planned book tour in the US that was to occur later
this year. She didn't feel that touring the US when
they were threathening Canada with tariffs, etc. was
the proper thing to do at this time.
Did someone point out to Ms. Penny that her own country loves the tariff? And >not just small tariffs, either. Here's a small sampling of some of the tariffs >Canadia imposes on the U.S.:
250% for milk
291% for butter
208% for whey
241% for cheese
I guess for folks like Ms. Penny, that's somehow 'different'. "Tariffs for >thee, but not for me!"
Nyssa <[email protected]> wrote:The 'useless reason' was caused by something (the US Border
Adam H. Kerman wrote:
Nyssa <[email protected]> wrote:
Just a follow-up to the story.
As of yesterday, the library has received over $150,000
in donations to be used to add an entrance on the
Canadian side of the building plus a parking area on the
Canadian side.
Louise Penny, a Canadian author (of a mystery series I
enjoy) who lives in a nearby region of Quebec,
contributed $50,000 to the fund.
I hope that the Canadian patrons of the library can
eventually enjoy the facility without any additional
hassles from the customs and immigration folks, but I
guess we'll see what happens.
Nyssa, who hopes for the best, but these days figures on
the not-so-good happening instead
What a complete waste of money, and I suppose this cuts
off the economy of the two neighboring towns in half.
???
You have two adjoining communities. People would shop and
use services on both sides of the border. With this
crackdown, it's no longer possible.
The money was from voluntary contributions from people
who care about making the library available to all the
residents on both sides of the border.
But except for appeasing phony security concerns, the
monies should have been spent on something else. A small
building doesn't require two entrances.
No government money from either country is involved in
the planned work on the Canadian side.
It matters not that it wasn't government money. It's money
being spent for a useless reason.
. . .
Adam H. Kerman wrote:
Nyssa <[email protected]> wrote:
Adam H. Kerman wrote:
Nyssa <[email protected]> wrote:
Just a follow-up to the story.
As of yesterday, the library has received over $150,000
in donations to be used to add an entrance on the
Canadian side of the building plus a parking area on the
Canadian side.
Louise Penny, a Canadian author (of a mystery series I
enjoy) who lives in a nearby region of Quebec,
contributed $50,000 to the fund.
I hope that the Canadian patrons of the library can
eventually enjoy the facility without any additional
hassles from the customs and immigration folks, but I
guess we'll see what happens.
Nyssa, who hopes for the best, but these days figures on
the not-so-good happening instead
What a complete waste of money, and I suppose this cuts
off the economy of the two neighboring towns in half.
???
You have two adjoining communities. People would shop and
use services on both sides of the border. With this
crackdown, it's no longer possible.
The money was from voluntary contributions from people
who care about making the library available to all the
residents on both sides of the border.
But except for appeasing phony security concerns, the
monies should have been spent on something else. A small
building doesn't require two entrances.
No government money from either country is involved in
the planned work on the Canadian side.
It matters not that it wasn't government money. It's money
being spent for a useless reason.
. . .
The 'useless reason' was caused by something (the US Border
Patrol) out of their control. What else could they do in
order to continue using a service the townfolk had used for
over 100 years without interference?
. . .
BTW Ms. Penny also announced that she has cancelled
a planned book tour in the US that was to occur later
this year. She didn't feel that touring the US when
they were threathening Canada with tariffs, etc. was
the proper thing to do at this time.
Did someone point out to Ms. Penny that her own country loves the tariff? And
not just small tariffs, either. Here's a small sampling of some of the tariffs
Canadia imposes on the U.S.:
250% for milk
291% for butter
208% for whey
241% for cheese
I guess for folks like Ms. Penny, that's somehow 'different'. "Tariffs for thee, but not for me!"
I'm not going to look it up at the moment but those aren't the actual
tariffs because the tariffs only apply to a specific amount of each
item that is shipped into the country over a given amount. Amounts
that have not been met in the past few years so the tariffs weren't
actually applied. There's articles that go into the details and shows
how the numbers look great in a tweet so long as you don't look into
the details.
Inside the library celebrated as a symbol of international friendship, Pauline >Lussier and Chris Blais put their arms around each other's shoulders Friday as >they stood on either side of the line taped down the floor marking the border. >Lussier, a Canadian, and Blais, an American met for the first time that day.
| Sysop: | Keyop |
|---|---|
| Location: | Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, UK |
| Users: | 715 |
| Nodes: | 16 (3 / 13) |
| Uptime: | 156:30:54 |
| Calls: | 12,093 |
| Calls today: | 1 |
| Files: | 15,000 |
| Messages: | 6,517,738 |