#haskell free library and opera house

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Leyland Cecco at The Guardian:

There is only one building in North America, probably in the world, where one can browse bestsellers and children’s books by crossing an international border and then sit for an amateur theatre troupe in a regal opera house with each half of your body in two different countries. Standing near the Tomifobia River, a rushing body of water swollen from the spring melt, the Haskell Free Library and Opera House straddles the border of Canada and the US. Constructed more than a century ago as a deliberate rebuttal to borders and division, the imposing building split between Quebec and Vermont has become a beloved and fiercely protected part of communities in both countries. But in recent months, the library has become the latest casualty in the trans-border feud that has strained relations between the two nations. Peter Lépine began volunteering at the library 15 years ago after moving from Montreal, drawn to the creaky warren of rooms, each constructed from different types of wood. “I’ve loved it,” he says on an April morning. “I love books, I love the people and I love the quiet. And today, mercifully, it’s quiet.” For weeks, curious onlookers, outraged supporters and gaggles of media have descended on both Stanstead, Quebec, and Derby Line, Vermont, after US officials announced the main entrance to the library, which sits in Vermont, would soon be cut off to Canadians. They cited drug traffickers and smugglers “exploiting” the accessibility and said the closure meant “we are ending such exploitation by criminals and protecting Americans” without providing evidence. Under the new rules which go into effect in October, Canadians will need to go through a formal border crossing before entering the library. The news, met with disbelief from patrons and staff, followed a closely watched visit by the US secretary of homeland security, Kristi Noem, in March. Touring the library, Noem said “USA number one!” and then hopped over the black tape separating the two countries and said “51st state” when she landed in Canada. She repeated the joke – echoing Donald Trump’s recent fixation on annexing Canada – three times. “It was incredibly disrespectful,” said Lépine. “There’s no other way to describe it. And it really hurt.”

Since the start of his second term, Trump has questioned Canada’s viability as a nation, suggesting that it could become the 51st American state, and deriding the outgoing prime minister, Justin Trudeau, as a “governor”. He has also called the border an “imaginary line” and threatened to use economic force to crush Canada’s economy. The political theatre comes in stark contrast to a building meant to celebrate friendship and cooperation. Opened in 1904, before rules took effect that barred trans-border structures, the library and opera house were gifted by Martha Stewart Haskell, a Canadian philanthropist, and her son Horace. The aim was to gift something artistic to citizens of both countries for generations to come. When finished, the building housed a 500-seat opera house, complete with a dazzling chandelier and a curtain painted to resemble Venice’s grand canal – original items still in use today. Like the library below, the worn black tape running through the opera marks the international border.

[...] In recent days, US border officials installed a sign that warned only library card holders could cross and access the main entrance. Anyone else “will be arrested and face prosecution” at the hands of US officials. [...] Currently, to enter the library, Canadians must trek over mats placed atop a muddy lawn, following a set of arrows that lead the building’s former emergency exit. But the library’s management envisioned an accessible entrance along with sidewalks and a larger parking lot. “I have the resources to help because of the support of American and Canadian readers. The least I could do is give back,” Penny said. “Plus, it’s like giving the finger to the current administration: you close one door, we will open another one.” At the Haskell, patrons returning books throughout the morning all cite the shared sense of history, culture and values that have long undergirded the friendship between the two nations.

The Haskell Free Library and Opera House (Bibliothèque et salle d'opéra Haskell)-- which straddles Derby Line, Vermont, USA and Stanstead, Québec, Canada-- is caught between the crosshairs of Trump’s insane feud with Canada, as the Canadian entrance is being cut off.

See Also:

The Guardian: US blocks Canadian access to cross-border library, sparking outcry

[saywhat-politics]

On Monday, a century-old tradition that allowed Canadians and Americans to freely access the front entrance of the Haskell Free Library and Opera House that straddles Vermont and Quebec will come to an end.

Canadian members used to walk down the approximately 70 feet of American sidewalk with their identifying documents, such as a passport or license, and enter through the library's main entrance, which sits on the Vermont side. But last week, U.S. authorities said that this easy access will end, with most Canadians needing to enter through a separate entrance on Canada's side.

[libraryjournal]

The Haskell Free Library and Opera House is located between Stanstead, Quebec, and Derby Line, Vermont. It was built deliberately to straddle the frontier between the two countries – a symbol of cooperation and friendship between Canada and the US. The library’s entrance is on the Vermont side. Previously, Canadian visitors were able to enter using the sidewalk and entrance on the American side but were encouraged to bring documentation, according to the library’s website. Inside, a line of electrical tape demarcates the international boundary. About 60% of the building, including the books, is located in Canada. Upstairs, in the opera house, the audience sits in the US while the performers are in Canada. Under the new rules, Canadians will need to go through a formal border crossing before entering the library.

[0rph3u5]

The Haskell Free Library and Opera House, built in 1904, has been declared a heritage site on both sides of the border and has long been considered a symbol of harmony between Canada and the U.S.

The border line literally runs across the floor of the building, but the entrance is on the American side in Derby Line, Vt.

[jadestormcloud2]

"Haskell Free Library and Opera House straddles the border—it’s half in Stanstead, Quebec, and half in Derby Line, Vermont.

Although the primary entrance is technically on the American side, the library has long been treated as a neutral zone, where citizens of either country were able to enter as they pleased. As part of the agreement, U.S. border officers patrolled the area around the library and were authorized to search people’s bags.

However, American border patrol officers are planning to ban entry to Canadians through the library’s main entrance unless they first enter the U.S. through an official border crossing point, the president of the library’s board told the CBC.

...

Earlier this month, Noem visited the library and pushed her boss’ talking points in a bizarre stunt.

She reportedly stepped back and forth across the border within the library. On the American side, wearing a grin, she said, “U.S.A. No. 1.” And on the Canadian side, Noem said, “The 51st state.”"

[e-stranger]

Abu Hamdan again

In Augustus 2022 I already wrote, here, about my interest in Lawrence Abu Hamdan in whose work art, sound research, language and politics meet. At the end of November my travels brought me to Besançon and I was happy to see the frac Franche-Comté presented an exhibition Aux frontières de l'audible on Abu Hamdan's work. (19/11/2023 - 14/04/2024) The show contains six works of which 45th Parallel from 2022 and Rubber coated steel from 2016 impressed me most.

Rubber Coated Steel is the video part (21,47 min.) of the installation Earshot. I watched the total video, absorbed by it's aesthetic and narrational force. It was delicate and needed all my attention. This was thorough sound research, which had political impact, brought as a thrilling video piece. Abu Hamdan questions how civil rights are "heard" today. The facts about the rubber bullets disguising real bullets are here.

In 45th Parallel, a video (color, sound, 15 min.) and two painted backdrops, the notion of border, often fragile, porous, absurd yet lethal, is narrated as a political and geographical grey zone in the concrete context of the Haskell Free Library and Opera House – a unique municipal site that straddles the jurisdictions of Canada and the United States (see photo of the library). Again, the facts and stories told are impressive, but what touched me especially was how strong and good in Abu Hamdan's work, research and art are entangled. Facts do "speak", but brought this way they "touch" profoundly. :) Art is a language:)

[scenicvermontphotography]

Haskell Free Library and Opera House in Derby Line Vermont.- The library collection and the opera stage are located in Stanstead, but the main entrance and most opera seats are located in Derby Line. Because of this, the Haskell is sometimes called "the only library in the U.S.A. with no books" and "the only opera house in the U.S.A. with no stage". There is no entrance from Canada, however there is an emergency exit on the Canadian side of the building. All patrons and visitors must use the US entrance to access the building. Patrons from Canada are permitted to enter the US door without needing to report to customs, providing they return to Canada immediately upon leaving the building. https://www.scenicvermontphotography.com/haskell-free-library-and-opera-house-in-derby-line/ #photography, #PhotoOfTheDay, #landscape, #photographer

[businesspr]

A Library on the Canada-U.S.Border Is Ensnared by Trump’s Foreign Policy

A wealthy widow built a library and opera house on the border between Quebec and Vermont, a symbol of binational friendship. Now U.S. officials are restricting access to Canadians. source https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/30/world/canada/haskell-free-library-opera-house-quebec-vermont-border.html

[axneha]

Are we still friends? US-Canada border towns face a strange new reality.

Planned limitations on Canadian access to the Haskell Free Library & Opera House, which spans the U.S.-Canada border, symbolize a fraying relationship between towns with traditionally close ties.

[bacchicly]

Quebec town pushes back as U.S. tightens access to iconic border-straddling library | CBC.ca

The decision of US border control is a tragedy.

[nedsecondline]

US blocks Canadian access to cross-border library, sparking outcry | US news | The Guardian (Me: when a fool is in charge, things get silly and cruel)

The US has blocked Canadian access to a library straddling the Canada-US border, drawing criticism from a Quebec town where people have long enjoyed easy entry to the space. The Haskell Free Library and Opera House is located between Stanstead, Quebec, and Derby Line, Vermont. It was built deliberately to straddle the frontier between the two countries – a symbol of cooperation and friendship…

[cityreport24]

"Weltspiegel – Auslandskorrespondenten berichten" am Sonntag, 16. Februar 2025, um 18:30 Uhr im Ersten

Geplante Themen: USA/Kanada: Neue Spannungen an der Grenze? Die „Haskell Free Library & Opera House“ liegt genau auf der amerikanisch-kanadischen Grenze. Sie hat Post-Adressen sowohl im kanadischen Stansted/Quebec als auch im amerikanischen Derby Line, das zum Bundesstaat Vermont gehört. Seit Jahrzehnten wird die Bibliothek von Mitarbeitern aus beiden Ländern betrieben. Der kleine Grenzverkehr…