I'm not allowed to cross this road, because this is the town of Stanstead, Canada. On the other side of the street is Derby Line, USA, and the border between the two countries runs right down this, Rue Canusa. For the local residents, that can be inconvenient. I lived here all my life for 63 years. Today, you cannot cross over the line and visit your neighbors like years ago. If you want to cross, you have to report at customs. You know, I used to cross every day. Now I probably cross once every, probably once a week because I come down to the post office over here. To go through the border, basically, they ask you your passport. They go inside, I guess they look at if you have a record or not. They look at your registration of your car, but a couple of minutes and you're gone through. I'm a dual citizen, so I'm American and Canadian, so it's easier. This is a place where the idea of a border as a solid, easy to understand line gets a little bit fuzzy. The road doesn't run at exactly the same angle as the border, not precisely. The official line is that this is Canada and that's the USA, but both country's maps show the road as being entirely in the US just here, and entirely in Canada up there. The houses are definitely in separate countries, but the road, it's not quite as clear. And in practice, if I was driving, I'd be okay even on that side of the road. I am considered to be still in Canada, as long as I don't stop and walk up to an American house. It's fair to say that there's a little bit of leniency here if you're just nudging the border by a few centimeters, or if you're on that side, a couple of inches. But while I was setting up my camera here, the police turned up, lights flashing, to move along those bikers you saw earlier who were admiring the view from the other side of the road. It all seemed in good spirits, but they had crossed the border. Well, the library is part on the Canadian side, part on the American side. But you stay on the Canadian side, you stay on the sidewalk and you go through the front door and it's permitted. On Canusa Street, there's a sidewalk on the Canadian side. So back years ago, it was tolerated that people on the American side could cross over and walk on the sidewalk. So, you know, basically it's a little dangerous to walk on the side of the road. And now today, well, it's not tolerated no more. I think the rules hasn't changed much, but they're more enforced. When you cross, they ask you more questions than they used to, you know, years ago. Before, you went through the border and you knew most of the customs officers and it was they used to wave to you, you know. In 1783, this section of the Canada-US border was set at the 45th parallel, a line of latitude. Slightly inaccurate measurements were accepted by both countries, so it was locked in. But as for this specific road, there are local stories about drunk surveyors and pranks, but no one really knows.
A man in a red shirt stands on a sidewalk next to a road and speaks to the camera, gesturing with his hands. Motorcycles drive down the road in the background.
"I'm not allowed to cross this road, because this is the town of Stanstead, Canada. On the other side of the street is Derby Line, USA,"
Setting: Rue Canusa, Stanstead, Canada — Bright, natural daylight from a sunny day.
People (1):
• standing, facing the camera, wearing plain red t-shirt and dark pants, short, light brown, slightly messy hair — speaking, expressive
The camera tilts up a wooden utility pole to show a banner.
"Rue Canusa. For the local residents, that can be inconvenient."
Setting: Rue Canusa, Stanstead, Canada — Bright, natural daylight.
Text: "Rue Canusa Avenue", "Welcome", "Bienvenue"
An older man is being interviewed, speaking directly to someone off-camera.
"I lived here all my life for 63 years."
Setting: Stanstead, Canada, near a border crossing — Bright, natural daylight.
People (1):
• standing still, wearing maroon polo shirt, short, white hair — serious, speaking
Text: "Philippe Dutil", "Mayor of Stanstead"
A static shot of a street corner with various traffic and warning signs.
"If you want to cross, you have to report at customs."
Setting: Derby Line, USA — Bright, natural daylight.
Text: "DO NOT ENTER", "NE PAS ENTRER", "SPEED LIMIT 30"
The Mayor of Stanstead continues his interview, explaining his current border crossing habits.
"You know, I used to cross every day. Now I probably cross once every, probably once a week because I come down to the post office over here."
Setting: Stanstead, Canada, near a border crossing — Bright, natural daylight.
People (1):
• standing still, wearing maroon polo shirt with a small 'LVG' logo, short, white hair — speaking, explaining
A static shot of a Canadian border sign next to a tree, with a large building in the distant background.
"To go through the border, basically, they ask you your passport."
Setting: Canadian side of the border — Bright, natural daylight.
Text: "Canada", "By Law you must report to the nearest Customs office located at: Rock Island via 143"
A blue car pulls up to a border crossing gate, which is down. The gate then rises to let the car through.
"They look at your registration of your car, but a couple of minutes and you're gone through."
Setting: Border crossing — Bright daylight.
The Mayor of Stanstead continues his interview, explaining his citizenship status.
"I'm a dual citizen, so I'm American and Canadian, so it's easier."
Setting: Stanstead, Canada, near a border crossing — Bright, natural daylight.
People (1):
• standing still, wearing maroon polo shirt with a small 'LVG' logo, short, white hair — speaking, slightly nodding
A satellite map view is shown. A red line indicates the border, and dotted white lines highlight the border crossing roads.
"a solid, easy to understand line gets a little bit fuzzy."
Setting: Satellite view of Stanstead/Derby Line area
Text: "City Hall", "Border crossings", "Data and imagery © 2018 Google"
The narrator stands on the sidewalk again, gesturing across the road and then along the road to explain the border's location.
"The official line is that this is Canada and that's the USA, but both country's maps show the road as being entirely in the US just here,"
Setting: Rue Canusa, Stanstead, Canada — Bright, natural daylight.
People (1):
• standing, facing the camera, wearing plain red t-shirt and dark pants, short, light brown hair — speaking, animated
A topographical map is shown. The border is a dash-dot line, and the area of Canada is shaded pink.
"and entirely in Canada up there."
Setting: Map of the Canada-US border
Text: "Source: National Atlas of Canada"
The narrator continues speaking as a large white semi-truck with a flatbed trailer drives past him on the road.
"The houses are definitely in separate countries but the road, it's not quite as clear."
Setting: Rue Canusa, Stanstead, Canada — Bright daylight.
People (1):
• standing, wearing plain red t-shirt and dark pants, short, light brown hair — speaking, looks flustered by the truck
The narrator explains the practical rules of driving on the border road. A white sedan drives past in the background.
"I am considered to be still in Canada, as long as I don't stop and walk up to an American house."
Setting: Rue Canusa, Stanstead, Canada — Bright daylight.
People (1):
• standing, wearing plain red t-shirt and dark pants, short, light brown hair — speaking, giving a thumbs-up gesture
A close-up shot of a yellow boundary marker post.
"It's fair to say that there's a little bit of leniency here if you're just nudging the border by a few centimeters,"
Setting: Near the international boundary — Natural daylight.
Text: "WARNING", "YOU ARE ON OR NEAR THE INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY", "NO CONSTRUCTION OR TREES"
The narrator recounts an incident with the police. A white police SUV is seen driving away down the road in the background.
"But while I was setting up my camera here, the police turned up, lights flashing, to move along those bikers you saw earlier"
Setting: Rue Canusa, Stanstead, Canada — Bright daylight.
People (1):
• standing, wearing plain red t-shirt and dark pants, short, light brown hair — speaking, animated expression
A wide shot of a large, ornate building made of stone and yellow brick.
"Well, the library is part on the Canadian side, part on the American side."
Setting: Stanstead, Canada / Derby Line, USA — Bright, sunny day.
The Mayor of Stanstead explains the special rule for accessing the cross-border library.
"But you stay on the Canadian side, you stay on the sidewalk and you go through the front door and it's permitted."
Setting: Stanstead, Canada — Bright, natural daylight.
People (1):
• standing still, wearing maroon polo shirt, short, white hair — speaking
A point-of-view shot from inside a car driving down Rue Canusa.
"On Canusa Street, there's a sidewalk on the Canadian side. So back years ago, it was tolerated that people on the American side could cross over and walk on the sidewalk."
Setting: Driving on Rue Canusa — Bright daylight.
A close-up shot of a granite border monument with engraved flags.
"So, you know, basically it's a little dangerous to walk on the side of the road."
Setting: US-Canada Border — Natural daylight.
Text: "Etats-Unis", "Canada"
The Mayor of Stanstead offers his opinion on the change in border culture.
"I think the rules hasn't changed much, but they're more enforced."
Setting: Stanstead, Canada — Bright, natural daylight.
People (1):
• standing still, wearing maroon polo shirt, short, white hair — speaking, serious expression
A POV shot from a car driving through a US border crossing point, passing signs and cones.
"When you cross, they ask you more questions than they used to, you know, years ago."
Setting: Beebe Plain, VT Port of Entry — Bright daylight.
Text: "Welcome to the United States"
The narrator stands on the sidewalk again, beginning his concluding remarks about the history of the border.
"In 1783, this section of the Canada-US border was set at the 45th parallel, a line of latitude."
Setting: Rue Canusa, Stanstead, Canada — Bright, natural daylight.
People (1):
• standing, facing the camera, wearing plain red t-shirt and dark pants, short, light brown hair — speaking
The narrator shrugs, concluding that the exact reason for the road's placement is unknown.
"But as for this specific road, there are local stories about drunk surveyors and pranks, but no one really knows."
Setting: Rue Canusa, Stanstead, Canada — Bright, natural daylight.
People (1):
• standing, facing the camera, wearing plain red t-shirt and dark pants, short, light brown hair — speaking, with a slight smile and a shrug
An end screen is displayed over a scenic view of a rural border marker.
Setting: Rural US-Canada border — Bright daylight.
Text: "AMAZING PLACES", "tomscott.com @tomscott /tomscott tomscottgo"