Canadians can visit the Haskell Free Library and Opera House without crossing through a U.S. border checkpoint, thanks to a new entrance on the Canadian side.
A ceremony held on Wednesday officially inaugurated the new door at the historic library, which straddles the border between Stanstead, Que., and Derby Line, Vt. The new entrance was built after U.S. authorities last year ended a century-old arrangement that allowed Canadians to enter from the American side without a passport or customs inspection.
“I’m very relieved. People are going to be able to enjoy the library without any problems,” said Sylvie Boudreau, president of the library’s board of trustees. She said the entrance has already been in use for about two months, but construction was only recently completed.
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Among those attending the ceremony was Canadian visitor Ruth Whitman, who welcomed the new access point. “I’m super excited to use the Canadian door. This shows how we can always find solutions,” she said.
Last year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement that the ”area has witnessed a continued rise in illicit cross-border activity.”
It specified that there had been a number of incidents in and around the library that resulted in apprehensions in recent years, including a person attempting to smuggle firearms.
The building previously had no entrance on the Canadian side, requiring visitors to enter from the United States.
The project included a new entrance, sidewalk, parking lot and wheelchair-accessible facilities. Boudreau said the work cost about $700,000, with roughly half the funding coming from donations and a GoFundMe campaign.
The library, built in the early 1900s, was intentionally constructed on the international boundary so residents of both countries could share the space. “It represents unity and friendship and how there are no divisions between the two communities and the two countries,” said Boudreau.
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