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A decision by the U.S. government to restrict Canadians’ access to a library in Quebec is raising questions about the border in B.C.
For decades, Canadian visitors to the town of Stanstead, Que. 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 move has raised questions about potential new restrictions at the Peace Arch border crossing, where there have been a number of recent arrests related to human smuggling rings.“This is a library that has existed for well over 100 years,” Dr. Lori Trautman, director of the Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University told Global News.“Really not that different from the Peace Arch Park that exists between Canada and the U.S. and B.C. and Washington, where you have this shared space where people can come together from both sides. They’ve been doing it for 100 years, and now we’re seeing some of these broader tensions between Canada and the U.S. kind of play out on the ground in these places.” Peace Arch Park is the unfenced park that straddles the border.In January, U.S. officials started cracking down on illegal vehicle crossings near the Blaine port of entry.Rosario Pete Vasquez, Blaine’s chief patrol agent, confirmed they installed concrete blocks and rock barriers in several high-traffic areas near the crossing.
“We’ve been seeing similar moves in Peace Park actually for over a year now,” Trautman said. “So some of the restrictions that we’ve encountered aren’t directly related to the Trump administration. But I will say that the restricted access seems to be increasing.
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“And, you know, today you cannot go to the Washington State side of the Peace Arch Park from Canada. It’s no longer available.”Trautman said they are seeing increased enforcement on both sides of the border.“I think certainly what’s happening in the library is just sort of another example of a much more aggressive stance on these connections that have really, you know, (allowed) people and goods to move back and forth for a really long time across.”Trautman recommends that if anyone wants to go to Peace Park or along the border to have their documents on them.“If you are a Canadian or U.S. citizen, perhaps that’s a little different, but certainly if you’re a third-country national, people are asking for documentation in the park,” she said.“And I have heard reports (of) people who don’t have documentation running into some issues.”
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