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U.S. Restricts Canadian Access to Historic Border-Straddling Library

The Haskell Free Library & Opera House faces new U.S. border rules citing security concerns, ending a century-old cross-border tradition.

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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
A general view of 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
Library clerk Lee Anne Smith walks from Canada into the U.S. at 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, in Stanstead, Quebec, Canada January 21, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio/File Photo

Overview

  • Canadian visitors to the Haskell Free Library must now hold library cards or be staff to enter via the U.S. side, with full customs enforcement set for October 1, 2025.
  • The U.S. Department of Homeland Security cites smuggling and illegal migration as reasons for tightening access to the library, a long-standing symbol of cross-border unity.
  • Residents and officials on both sides of the border have expressed frustration, calling the decision a blow to the library's legacy of cooperation.
  • The library plans to create a new Canadian-side entrance, launching a fundraising campaign to cover the estimated $100,000 cost.
  • The decision comes during heightened U.S.-Canada tensions, including annexation rhetoric and trade disputes under the Trump administration.