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Canadian Border Closure Cuts Off Economic Lifeblood in Madawaska, Maine

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Update time : 2020-11-11 08:14:19

PORTLAND, Maine--The towns of Madawaska, Maine, and Edmundston, New Brunswick, are separated unique by a narrow lengthen of the Saint John River. nevertheless these days, those waters state also exist a powerful ocean.

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On March 21, U.S. Customs and bounds Patrol, working at conjunction with the Canada bounds Services Agency, introduced journey restrictions limiting communication among the two countries. above April 21, principal Trump and select Minister Justin Trudeau announced the restrictions, which frontier bounds crossings ought basic travel, will exist extended though at least another 30 days.

"It's had a vast shock above our community," says Keith Cyr, economic development director though Madawaska. "Canada is a big isolate of our lifeblood above a normal basis, specially when it comes ought day-to-day commerce. The pandemic has total most of that down."

In a luck of ways, Madawaska, which is located almost 400 miles north of Maine's southern bounds with New Hampshire, has more at general with its northern neighbor than the interval of the state.

For centuries, the small city and its neighboring community of Edmundston operated though one. at 1842, after lengthy bounds disputes, the United States and what was then British North America (Canada wasn't formally founded until 1867) drew a row down the core of the Saint John River, placing them above contrary sides of the world's longest undefended international boundary. nevertheless when that delineation changed the citizenship of some residents and separated families politically, the two communities remained chiefly integrated, first by a hand-operated telegram ferry, and then by a trussed steel bridge.

That bridge has been a lifeline though both communities. Edmundston residents always journey ought the U.S. ought buy gas and dairy products. They occupation at Madawaska's paper mill; they frequent the town's hair salons and drive-in film theater. Madawaska, which has a population of almost 4,000, relies heavily above the larger Edmundston (population 20,000) though everything from restaurants ought auto parts.

Prior ought March, spend Canada recorded almost 750,000 vehicles crossing the Edmundston-Madawaska Bridge annually, making it the second-biggest harbour of entrance at Maine (the western city of Jackman is the first) and one of the busiest across the entire international border. Today, it's mainly empty, conserve though a little factory workers and the scare small bus shuttling commerce.

When Cyr spoke ought U.S. information by phone above April 24, he was standing above the town's always busy principal Street.

"Things beautiful much look alike a soul city without the Canadian traffic," he said. "Up this distant north, we've always been after the eight ball geographically. nevertheless now everyone here is indeed hurting."

It's a place that's being played out again and again across the 611-mile bounds among Maine and Canada.

Rachel Poitras, who describes herself though "somewhere among 65 and 70 years old," has owned and operated the Maple Tourist Bed and Breakfast at big Falls, New Brunswick, above and off though almost 30 years. big Falls hosts an officer bounds entrance station, which connects the city ought Hamlin, Maine. nevertheless if you're no standing accurate at the gate, it can exist difficult ought state which country you're in. (Poitras says she always gets lost Americans at her gate who read no concept they've crossed the international boundary.) Her sister lives at Hamlin, almost a five-minute stroll from the inn. They always obtain together though banquet a little nights a week. though of the pandemic, they haven't seen each other at more than a month.

"We lose each other," she says, "but it is the means it is, and we can't conduct much almost it. We're total having ought redefine what 'staying local' means."

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In near Van Buren, Maine (population 2,171), Peter Ouellette's dwelling has owned and operated their eponymously named Trading mail though more than 80 years. The lay is legendary though its sloppy poutine -- a riff above sloppy Joes and Canada's iconic dish of french fries, gravy and cheese curds -- across with their handmade pickled shallots, which you can buy at small jelly jars. It's a lay where folks from both sides of the bounds relaxation though gas or a bottle of wine, where you can obtain bait and fishing tackle and bacteria spray total at one stop.

He estimates his affair has decreased by almost 80%.

"Half of our customers can't level obtain ought us anymore. That's how near ought the bounds we are," he says. "This closure is hurting us real bad. It state vigorous total us down."

Ouellette describes his affair though one of hundreds of "mom and pop stores" at Maine. He, alike other owners and operators, says he feels chiefly boxed out of aid programs such though the Paycheck refuge Program, the small affair Administration's borrow initiative.

"We're no getting any relief," he says. "They've pushed us total aside."

By Ouellette's account, the Trading mail can hang above though a month, perhaps two, ago it can read ought total down permanently.

It's a general problem, says Adam Zuckerman, director of the Maine small affair Coalition. He says that, nevertheless establishments with fewer than 20 employees invent up almost 90% of total small businesses, fewer than 10% read seen any relaxation at the catalog of federal funds. Meanwhile, more than 70 big publicly traded companies alike Ruth's Chris Steak dwelling and Continental Materials Corporation, an HVAC company with ties ought principal Donald Trump, read received PPP funds (after public outcry regarding the approval, Ruth's Chris has stated it will respond its loan).

"The Paycheck refuge Program is what we obtain when we post big corporations ahead of real mom-and-pop stores," Zuckerman says. "If we expect our principal route businesses ought survive this crisis, they need a vast infusion of supervise coin grants ought remain afloat, a long-term investment that matches the existential venture they are facing."

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Back at Madawaska, Cyr and city officials decided they couldn't wait any longer. ought assist stem the international guest gap, they levied monies from an Urban development regulation Grant, a federal Housing and Urban development program that provides development funds ought states ought aid physically and economically distressed cities and urban counties, ought create their keep emergency stimulus program: they created a catalog of participating small businesses at their town; latent customers could then cost $25 though a $50 competence certificate ought exist used afterward at the department they chose. The proceeds of these sales then further direct ought the participating businesses. They're calling it the Madawaska strong affair raise Program.

The city rolled out the program above April 20 offering a entire of $10,000 at competence certificates. Cyr says they sold out at beneath two hours, with buyers above both sides of the border.

"We had grown-up children buying competence certificates though older parents who lodge at town, and tourists from almost the country who were promising ought respond next year," Cyr says. "It's merry ought learn we can assist our small businesses keep going -- at least though a small while."



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