Quebec town says U.S. is limiting Canadian access to border-straddling library [Video]

The town of Stanstead, Que., says U.S. authorities have unilaterally decided to “close the main Canadian access” to the Victorian-style library that straddles the border between the two countries.

For decades, Canadian visitors to the town had been able to walk across the border into Derby Line, Vt., to enter the Haskell Free Library and Opera House without having to cross a checkpoint or show a passport. That custom is now ending, the town said in a news release.

“This closure not only compromises Canadians visitors’ access to a historic symbol of co-operation and harmony between the two countries but also weakens the spirit of cross-border collaboration that defines this iconic location,” wrote the town, which added that “significant infrastructure adjustments” would be needed to comply with the new rules.

Once inside the library, Canadian and American citizens mingle freely across the border line drawn on the floor — as long as they …