FILE PHOTO: The Haskell Free Library and Opera House, which straddles the U.S.-Canada border in Stanstead, Quebec and in Derby Line, Vermont, U.S., marked by a black line on the floor, is seen from Derby Line, Vermont, U.S., January 21, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio/File Photo
STANSTEAD, Quebec (Reuters) - U.S. authorities said on Friday they are closing Canadian access to a library straddling the Canada-U.S. border, drawing criticism from a Quebec town where people have long enjoyed easy entry to the space.
The Haskell Free Library and Opera House is located between the towns of Stanstead, Quebec, and Derby Line, Vermont. It has become a symbol of cross-border unity and cooperation as well as an opportunity for separated families to unite.
The library's entrance is on the Vermont side. Previously, Canadian visitors were able to enter using the sidewalk and entrance on the American side but were encouraged to bring documentation, according to the library's website.
Under the new rules, Canadians would need to go through a formal border crossing before entering the library.
Until October 1, library members will be able to use the sidewalk with proof of membership, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said. After October 1, everyone from Canada will need to enter via a formal border crossing. Exceptions include school visits and people with disabilities.
"This closure not only compromises Canadian visitors' access to a historic symbol of cooperation and harmony between the two countries but also weakens the spirit of cross-border collaboration that defines this iconic location," the town of Stanstead said in a press release on Thursday.
Relations between the United States and Canada, long-time allies, have deteriorated since U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to annex Canada as the 51st state and imposed tariffs.
The CBP spokesperson said the area has witnessed a "continued rise in illicit cross-border activity." CBP did not specify the nature of the illicit activity.
But according to CBP data, U.S. authorities appear to be detaining fewer people than they were a year ago.
There have been 21 apprehensions of people near the library so far in the 2025 fiscal year, which began in October, versus 147 apprehensions in the entire fiscal year 2024.
DISAPPOINTMENT
In a statement to Reuters, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said the U.S. was responding to drug trafficking.
"Drug traffickers and smugglers were exploiting the fact that Canadians could use the U.S. entrance without going through customs. We are ending such exploitation by criminals and protecting Americans," the statement said.
The Department provided no evidence of drug trafficking or smuggling.
The library is a relic of a time when Americans and Canadians could cross the border with simply a nod and a wave at border agents, residents say. It was the gift of a local family in the early 1900s to serve the nearby Canadian and American communities.
Stanstead Mayor Jody Stone told Reuters he is disappointed more than anything.
"Disappointed that we have to change something that's been a certain way for over 100 years. Disappointed in the sense that there's no reason, other than control, for having to do this," he said.
Stone said the library is working to renovate an entrance on the Canadian side.
A small group of American and Canadian protesters gathered outside on Friday.
U.S. Senator Peter Welch, a Democrat from Vermont, called reports of the closure troubling.
"Vermont loves Canada. This shared cultural institution celebrates a partnership between our two nations," Welch said on X.
(Reporting by Anna Mehler Paperny; Additional reporting by Allison Lampert in Montreal and Ted Hesson in Washington; Editing by Caroline Stauffer, Nick Zieminski and Nia Williams)
