Haskell Free Library denounces ‘unilateral’ US move amid tensions over Donald Trump’s continued threats against Canada.
Montreal, Canada – US President Donald Trump’s administration is cutting off Canada’s main access point to a historical library that straddles the border between the Canadian province of Quebec and the US state of Vermont.
In a joint statement late on Thursday, the Quebec border town of Stanstead and the Haskell Free Library and Opera House said the United States had made the “unilateral decision to close the main Canadian access” to the building.
“This closure not only compromises Canadian visitors’ access to a historic symbol of cooperation and harmony between the two countries but also weakens the spirit of cross-border collaboration that defines this iconic location,” they said.
“Furthermore, it necessitates significant infrastructure adjustments to comply with new constraints.”
US Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment on the decision on Friday.
The move comes amid soaring tensions between the US and Canada over Trump’s repeated threats to annex his country’s northern neighbour, as well as the imposition of steep tariffs on Canadian goods.
Reports of Trump closing off Canadians’ access to the Haskell Free Library & Opera House are troubling, and if true an escalation in his rhetoric against our neighbor & ally.
Vermont loves Canada. This shared cultural institution celebrates a partnership between our two nations.…
— Senator Peter Welch (@SenPeterWelch) March 21, 2025
“Reports of Trump closing off Canadians’ access to the Haskell Free Library & Opera House are troubling, and if true an escalation in his rhetoric against our neighbor & ally,” US Senator Peter Welch of Vermont said in a post on X.
“Vermont loves Canada. This shared cultural institution celebrates a partnership between our two nations.”
First opened in 1905, a year after the Opera House, the Haskell Free Library was purposely constructed in both the US and Canada in a show of solidarity between residen