Library straddling Quebec

Library straddling Quebec-Vermont border gets new Canadian entrance

Canadians have been barred from using main entrance on U.S. side since October 2025

A new entrance to the iconic library that sits on the border between Quebec and Vermont is now welcoming Canadian bookworms after the U.S. limited entry to the building last year.

With one door opening to Stanstead, Que., and the other to Derby Line, Vt., the more-than-a-century-old library has long been a symbol of harmony between Canada and the U.S. A thick black line runs across the library floor to show where one country ends, and the other begins.

"Even though the [Haskell Free Library and Opera House] now has two different entrances, inside, we are people who appreciate literature, arts, and culture. There are no divisions," said Sylvie Boudreau, the president of the library's board of trustees.

She spoke on Wednesday at the inauguration ceremony for the library's "Canadian Door," a project just over a year in the making.

It came to be after the Trump administration barred Canadians last year from using the library's main entrance on the Vermont side.

U.S. limits Canadian access to iconic Stanstead, Que., border-straddling library

Stanstead Mayor Jody Stone said the community experienced uncertainty, frustration, and even a feeling of loss, following that announcement.

"You have protected the mission of Haskell, you have protected a symbol," he said, addressing the library's staff and volunteers.

Since October 2025, Canadians wishing to use that entrance have had to present themselves at a port of entry and go through U.S. customs. A temporary entrance on the Stanstead side was made available to Canadians while the library renovated the Canadian Door.

At the time, U.S. Customs and Border Protection told CBC it was limiting access to the sidewalk that wraps around a side of the library and connects Canada to the U.S. due to a "rise in illicit cross-border activity."

Though he was not in attendance, Vermont senator Bernie Sanders shared a message with the audience via video on Wednesday, calling the library "beautiful" and "unique."

"At a time when there are people seeking to stoke divisions among communities and between countries, I want to congratulate the Haskell staff for doing exactly the opposite, creating a welcoming space that brings people together," said Sanders.

The library completed its Canadian entrance in April, but held a special inauguration ceremony on Wednesday, hosted by Quebec television personality Jean-René Dufort.

Canadians can't use main doors at border library anymore