Writer Edie Clark traveled the New England section of the US/Canadian border for an article in the March/April 2009 Yankee and shared these photos of the trip. What was once the “friendliest border” has become deadly serious, she notes. Read her story: United States/Canadian Border See also YANKEE CLASSIC January 1984: US/Canadian Border Crossings
17. Are the new restrictions worth the expense and hardship? Is there anything that can be done to relieve the pressure on the border communities? We want to hear what you think. Please comment below and join the conversation.
Photo Credit : Clark, Edie
Writer Edie Clark traveled the New England section of the US/Canadian border for an article in the March/April 2009 Yankee and shared these photos of the trip. What was once the “friendliest border” has become deadly serious, she notes.
1. Edie Clark’s story in the March/April 2009 Yankee, “Along the Border,” led her on an odyssey exploring the frontier between New England and Canada. Photo Credit : Clark, Edie
2. Once called “the friendliest border in the world,” post 9/11 concerns have led the U.S. to spend hundreds of millions of dollars securing this expanse, restricting movement between the two countries. Photo Credit : Clark, Edie
3. This has had a major impact on border communities that, until recently, had paid little regard to the border. With new restrictions have come new hardships for those living along the line. Here the border passes through an old farm in Holland, Vermont. Photo Credit : Clark, Edie
4. Derby Line, Vermont, has long prided itself on its intimate relations with Stanstead, Quebec. The two towns function as one community sharing many things including, in cases such as this, a common roof. Photo Credit : Clark, Edie
5. The Haskell Free Library and Opera House was built here straddling the border as a sign of friendship and cooperation. Now, if Canadian or American visitors park on the wrong side of the building or use the wrong exit, they can be arrested. Photo Credit : Clark, Edie
6. Crossing the border into Canada used to be a casual affair and trekking across the border for dinner or entertainment was common. Now, both governments are cracking down on customs rules and, starting June 1, Americans will need a formal passport to enter Canada. Photo Credit : Clark, Edie
7. All visitors must check in at custom stations or face imprisonment or fine. In many places humble customs stations (like this one in Norton, Vermont) are being replaced with multi-million-dollar fort-like installations. Photo Credit : Clark, Edie
8. Edie found many places where these restrictions were having a tangible effect like in Newport, Vermont, a town on the American side of Lake Memphremagog. Photo Credit : Clark, Edie
9. When Edie visited the marina, she found few boats, little activity, and the old harbor tours discontinued. The harbormaster explained, “these are international waters, so it gets kind of messy. The waters are patrolled.” Photo Credit : Clark, Edie
10. Estcourt Station in northern Maine is about as secluded as it gets in the U.S. — the only good way to reach it is through Canada. The outpost is almost entirely integrated with the nearby town of Pohenegamook, Quebec. Photo Credit : Clark, Edie
11. Canadians have long enjoyed the lower gas prices at Estcourt Station (when Edie visited, the attendant only spoke French), but now they must make a side trip to the customs office before they can fill up Photo Credit : Clark, Edie
12. The new border restrictions probably had the largest effect on Phil Dumond, a retired game warden who has lived in Estcourt Station for 50 years. The border runs along the end of his driveway. When the new restrictions went into effect, he was effectively put under house arrest. Photo Credit : Clark, Edie
13. After some negotiating, a thumbprint identification system and a cluster of cameras and sensors were installed at the end of his driveway to allow him to come and go from his home. Dumond puts the cost of the system at around one million dollars. Photo Credit : Clark, Edie
14. For all the new restrictions and new expenses, Edie still found weak spots along the border where things still resemble the pre-9/11 world, like this ferry into Eastport, Maine. Photo Credit : Clark, Edie
15. Visitors are greeted with this sign, leading Edie to question whether the new customs restrictions did anything more than police the honest. Photo Credit : Clark, Edie
16. The U.S./Canadian border stretches through hundreds of miles of wilderness, but at the custom stations, Edie found that agents were mostly interested in the food she was carrying. Is it possible to truly secure the border from everyone who wishes to do us harm? Photo Credit : Clark, Edie
17. Are the new restrictions worth the expense and hardship? Is there anything that can be done to relieve the pressure on the border communities? We want to hear what you think. Please comment below and join the conversation. Photo Credit : Clark, Edie
