The Haskell Free Library & Opera House straddles the border between Vermont and Québec. The U.S. government is restricting Canadians’ access to the library — a break from tradition. Seven Days’ Eva Sollberger saw the new door for Canadians and met Stanstead Mayor Jody Stone and New port Mayor Rick Ufford-Chase. For more than 100 years, the Haskell Free Library & Opera House has been a symbol of friendship and unity between the U.S. and Canada. Opened in the early 1900s, the building straddles Derby Line, Vt., and Stanstead, Québec. A strip of thick black tape runs diagonally through the building to delineate the border. But as tensions escalate between the two countries, the library has become caught in the crosshairs. Most of the library is in Canada, but the entrance is in America. For decades, Canadians were allowed to cross the border outside the library — which is marked by granite blocks — then walk along the sidewalk and enter through the front door. In March, library staff learned that the U.S. government, under President Donald Trump, will restrict Canadians’ access to the library. Canadians with library cards can enter via the main entrance until October, when all Canadians will have to pass through an official border crossing. A spokesperson from U.S. Customs and Border Protection attributed the change to an increase in illicit cross-border activity. It reported that more than 20 people this year — and 147 last year — have been apprehended in the area around the library. Library staff held a press conference to protest the changes and started a GoFundMe to create an entrance on the Canadian side of the library. The campaign has already exceeded its goal, thanks in part to a substantial contribution from Canadian author Louise Penny, whose book tour stops at the library on November 1 and 2. You can find Penny’s popular mysteries in both French and English on the library shelves. In the latest episode of “Stuck in Vermont,” Seven Days senior multimedia producer Eva Sollberger visited the library to see the new Canadian entrance, which is already in use. She spoke to patrons about what the library means to them and filmed a meeting between Stanstead Mayor Jody Stone and Newport Mayor Rick Ufford-Chase. The two spoke about continuing to connect and strengthen their neighboring communities despite the heightened political discord. The discussion in the opera house was also captured by a camera crew from news network France 24, who moved back and forth across the line marking the international border. Filming date: 3/28/25 Music: The Mini Vandals, “In Memory of Jean Talon” This episode of “Stuck in Vermont” was supported by The Vermont Community Foundation… ...read more read less