Vermont library holds ribbon cutting for new Canadian citizen entrance
By Yunier Martinez
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DERBY, Vermont (WPTZ) — Community leaders from both sides of the U.S.-Canada border gathered Wednesday to celebrate the opening of a new Canadian entrance at the Haskell Free Library and Opera House.
The entrance was built after changes in 2025 ended a long-standing practice that allowed Canadians to enter the library through its main entrance in Derby Line without going through a formal border crossing.
At the time, many Canadian visitors expressed frustration with the change.
“There’s no word. I can’t believe what these people are doing. They don’t know what they’re doing. What about our feelings?” said Canadian library patron Pauline Lussier in March 2025.
The library quickly turned an emergency exit into a temporary entrance for Canadian visitors while they worked on a permanent fix.
In April 2025, Haskell Board President Sylvie Boudreau warned the project would cost more than originally expected.
“We had said $100,000, but it’s going to cost much more,” Boudreau said at the time.
The library says the final cost reached nearly $700,000. About $350,000 came from donations and fundraising efforts from supporters around the world. Library officials said no government funding was used for the entrance project.
More than a year later, the permanent entrance is now open, once again giving Canadian visitors direct access to the building.
“It’s emotional. Like I said, we have two different countries, but inside we are only one. Always,” Boudreau said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Messages of support from Vermont’s congressional delegation, including Senators Peter Welch and Bernie Sanders and Representative Becca Balint, were read during Wednesday’s ceremony.
Among those attending in person was Vermont Treasurer Mike Pieciak, who called the new entrance a symbol of the long-standing relationship between Vermont and Quebec.
“In many ways, we need them more than they need us. But… culturally, our cultures are intertwined. Our friends and our family are seamlessly spread across the border,” Pieciak said. “Building strong relations with our neighbors is just so critical to our future.”
The Haskell Free Library and Opera House remains one of the world’s most unique landmarks, sitting directly on the international border between the United States and Canada.
Stanstead Mayor Jody Stone said the project represents more than a new doorway.
“[It’s] Much more than just an entrance. We open a future. A future where two communities continue to walk together, to create together, to dream together,” Stone said.
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