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Cross-Border Poetry Reading
In January 2025, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem came to Derby Line, Vermont to visit the Haskell Free Library and Opera House, which was built exactly on the border between Canada and the United States. As reported by CTV News,
According to Deborah Bishop, the library’s executive director, Noem stood on the American side and said “U.S.A. no. 1″ during the tour of the building. “And then [she] crossed the line and said, ‘The 51st state.’ She did this on three occasions. There was no mention of Canada, just ‘The 51st state,’” she told CTV News, adding that the comments took everyone by surprise. “I couldn’t believe she said it,” Bishop said.
For over a century, Stanstead-Derby Line has been one of the most harmonious border communities in the world. In 1955 the National Film Board of Canada made a film about it and in 2016 President Obama cited it as a model community. There’s no better example of harmony between peoples of two different nations. But soon after the Secretary’s words were reported worldwide, the Trump administration barred unregistered access to the library’s front door for Canadians, citing security concerns. The next day, librarian Sylvie Boudreau started a GoFundMe campaign to pay for a new, permanent entrance for Canadian patrons. The campaign raised over $100,000 in donations in the first 48 hours and bestselling author Louise Penny personally contributed a further $50K. The new entrance was officially opened in June 2026.
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