Haskell Free Library officially opens new Canadian entrance after U.S. border access closed
Events
Drone footage shows the new Canadian entrance at the Haskell Free Library and Opera House in Stanstead at the start of the June 10, 2026 inauguration ceremony. Photos and video by William Crooks.
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The Haskell Free Library and Opera House officially inaugurated a new Canadian entrance on June 10, welcoming patrons back to the iconic cross-border institution with a ribbon-cutting ceremony that drew guests from both sides of the international boundary.
The opening marks the culmination of more than a year of work spurred by an unexpected decision by U.S. authorities in March 2025 to permanently close the building’s historic main entrance to Canadian visitors. For over a century, patrons from both Canada and the United States had entered through the same front door — a doorway that sat on American soil — without formal border checkpoints. The new entrance, built on Canadian soil adjacent to the library on Caswell Avenue in Stanstead, restores that access.
Guests gather outside the Haskell Free Library and Opera House in Stanstead ahead of the inauguration ceremony for the institution’s new Canadian entrance on June 10, 2026.
Tuesday’s ceremony was hosted by Jean-René Dufort, host of Radio-Canada’s Infoman and, as he described himself to the gathered crowd of patrons, media, and government officials from both countries, “the low-budget version of John Stewart in Canada.”
“Friendship will always remain stronger than bureaucracy,” Dufort told attendees, drawing laughter and applause.
He acknowledged the complicated circumstances that necessitated the new entrance but struck an optimistic tone, drawing on the metaphor of a long partnership adjusting to new realities.
“Even if our two countries are now like an old married couple who sleep in separate rooms and use separate doors, one reality will always remain that make this place magical,” Dufort said. “No matter which door we use, it’s inside that we will, as always, meet in friendship with great pleasure.”
Jean-René Dufort, host of Radio-Canada’s Infoman and master of ceremonies for the event, addresses the crowd at the inauguration of the Haskell Free Library and Opera House’s new Canadian entrance in Stanstead on June 10, 2026.
He closed his remarks with a reminder of the library’s global significance: “No matter the circumstances and the number of doors, Canadian and American citizens will always remain the best friends in the world, and this unique library will always remain a symbol of this friendship recognized worldwide.”
Sylvie Boudreau, president of the Haskell Free Library and Opera House Board of Trustees, offered her own remarks, expressing relief and gratitude after what she described as a long and collective effort.
“It’s finally done,” Boudreau told the assembled guests, acknowledging the outpouring of support that helped carry the project to completion. She thanked the patrons, donors, volunteers, and businesses — including Centre de Jardin Beebe, Maison Gorchon, Bonsens Excavation, and Hydro-Semence Rive-Sud — whose contributions and discounts helped make the construction possible.
“The letters and courriels of encouragement have played a crucial role in the realization of this project,” she said.
Sylvie Boudreau, president of the Haskell Free Library and Opera House Board of Trustees, delivers remarks at the inauguration of the library’s new Canadian entrance in Stanstead on June 10, 2026.
Boudreau also extended thanks to the library’s patrons, visitors, employees, and volunteers, noting that their dedication and adaptability throughout the construction period had contributed to the project’s success.
The ceremony proceeded with brief speeches from guests before the traditional ribbon-cutting, followed by a tour of the library and opera house, with staff on hand to answer questions and light refreshments served.
The new Canadian entrance sign at the Haskell Free Library and Opera House in Stanstead, inaugurated on June 10, 2026, after U.S. authorities closed the building’s historic main entrance to Canadian patrons in March 2025.
The Haskell has occupied its unique position on the Canada–United States border since construction began in 1901, with the building completed and inaugurated in 1904. It was founded by philanthropist Martha Stewart Haskell and her son Colonel Horace Stewart Haskell in honour of Martha’s late husband, American sawmill owner Carlos Haskell. The library collection and opera house stage sit in Stanstead, Quebec, while the audience seats and the building’s historic front entrance sit in Derby Line, Vermont. It is recognized as a National Historic Site in Canada and is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
The new Canadian entrance had been in progress since earlier in 2025. The library announced the accessible door’s opening in its May 2026 newsletter, noting at the time that finishing touches remained underway, but that the entrance was open to the public.
The Haskell serves anglophone and francophone residents on both sides of the border and continues to operate a full schedule of programming, including interlibrary loans through the Réseau Biblio de l’Estrie network, Saturday workshops, book sales, and author events.
The library is located at 93 Caswell Avenue in Derby Line, Vermont, and 1 Church Street in Stanstead, Quebec, and can be contacted at library@haskelloperahouse.org.
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As an American who went to school in Canada, I apologize for the boneheaded current US administration. It is gratifying to see the Haskell become more accessible to Canadian patrons on the Quebec side, without having to walk around to enter from the US side under the baleful watch of ICE.