The Haskell Free Library and Opera House, a landmark community building intentionally built across the U.S.-Canada border in 1904 to allow neighbors to share books and performances, has opened a new Canadian-only entrance. This comes after the Trump administration suspended the use of existing border gates at libraries in the US state of Vermont.
For more than a century, visitors from both countries have wandered freely along the building’s center line, which has black tape on the floor. But tightened U.S. security regulations effectively closed the historic shared entrance in October 2025. The new entrance, built on the Quebec side via the emergency exit, was a costly endeavor and was partly funded by community fundraising.
Video: Eloise Alana
