One of the world’s most unusual border crossings—an interior doorway inside the Haskell Free Library and Opera House straddling Stanstead, Québec, and Derby Line, Vermont—was sealed to Canadian patrons on 25 October 2025 after the United States revoked a century-old customs exemption. U.S. officials cited “evolving security requirements” for terminating the arrangement, which had allowed Canadians to enter the building through a door on Canadian soil and exit on the U.S. side without formal inspection.
Crews have already started constructing a new entrance on the Canadian side, forcing visitors who wish to browse the binational collection to undergo standard customs processing at the nearby land port before crossing the street to a separate U.S. entrance. The Haskell—built deliberately on the 45th parallel in 1904 as a symbol of friendship—has long been a quirky meeting spot for cross-border families and a photo-op for tourists who could straddle the international line painted across the reading room.
Local officials warn the closure will hurt tourism revenue and complicate joint cultural programming. “We’ve just lost the last informal crossing on the Eastern border,” said Stanstead Mayor Jody Stone. U.S. Customs and Border Protection maintained that the exemption was an “anomaly” inconsistent with post-9/11 security norms.
For global-mobility managers, the episode is a reminder that even low-risk border flexibilities can vanish overnight. Canadians with frequent U.S. engagements should ensure they have valid visas or NEXUS enrolment and monitor for further tightening as the Trump administration reviews cross-border programs. Employers with staff in Stanstead or Derby Line may need to budget extra transit time—and, in winter, factor in weather-related port delays.
The Canadian government has yet to lodge a formal protest but is expected to raise the issue at next month’s Bilateral Border Summit, where talks already include pre-clearance expansion and digital travel credentials.
Crews have already started constructing a new entrance on the Canadian side, forcing visitors who wish to browse the binational collection to undergo standard customs processing at the nearby land port before crossing the street to a separate U.S. entrance. The Haskell—built deliberately on the 45th parallel in 1904 as a symbol of friendship—has long been a quirky meeting spot for cross-border families and a photo-op for tourists who could straddle the international line painted across the reading room.
Local officials warn the closure will hurt tourism revenue and complicate joint cultural programming. “We’ve just lost the last informal crossing on the Eastern border,” said Stanstead Mayor Jody Stone. U.S. Customs and Border Protection maintained that the exemption was an “anomaly” inconsistent with post-9/11 security norms.
For global-mobility managers, the episode is a reminder that even low-risk border flexibilities can vanish overnight. Canadians with frequent U.S. engagements should ensure they have valid visas or NEXUS enrolment and monitor for further tightening as the Trump administration reviews cross-border programs. Employers with staff in Stanstead or Derby Line may need to budget extra transit time—and, in winter, factor in weather-related port delays.
The Canadian government has yet to lodge a formal protest but is expected to raise the issue at next month’s Bilateral Border Summit, where talks already include pre-clearance expansion and digital travel credentials.
