Strange Maps: Beebe Plain, Vermont, no, Quebec, uh …
March 3, 2009
Can you imagine crossing the street into another country just to ask for sugar? That’s what neighbors along a street in Beebe Plain, VT / Quebec can do! The USA / Canada border literally runs along Canusa Avenue and splits a small village named Beebe Plain in two.
Residents along the south side of Canusa Avenue (get the pun in the name? HA!) live in the USA, while residents of the north side live in Canada. Doesn’t look like one needs to go through an International checkpoint just to cross the street, although I wonder if there’s one just south of the village.
According to the Wikipedia entry of the Quebec side, Canusa Avenue lies entirely in Canada, and the border runs through the front lawns of the houses along the south side. So, these houses are in the USA and most of their driveways are in Canada.
The border even runs through a tool-and-die factory and at least one house. Imagine cooking a meal in one country, walking down the hall, and serving it in another country! Let’s hope that family doesn’t need to go through an International checkpoint just to get something from upstairs.
(Thanks to commentator Anman for this gem!)
March 3, 2009 at 5:38 pm
Wonder how the border crossing business and resident pay taxes? ;- )
July 9, 2009 at 4:01 am
Presumably language is an issue too? Though the fact the Canadian side of the border has such English names as “Rue Rock of Ages” suggests that in this part of Quebec maybe English is the predominant language. Anyone know?
August 4, 2009 at 10:12 am
this sounds like near where I live with the Ohio/Indiana border.. for a number of years they were on differnt times come summer.. if you wanted to shop later you went to Indiana cause the stores were open another hour.. Really funny when I worked at the doctors office and the patients would ask.. is that the time on my kitchen clock or my living room clock? and I would tell them to come by the one that told the time that they had on the one that said the time I told them to use..they were refurred to as fast and slow time.. Ohio being fast and Indiana being slow time..
August 26, 2009 at 12:43 pm
I suspect that all the medical clinics in the area are on the Canadian side as the US system is too costly for residents.
November 2, 2009 at 5:39 pm
I’ve read a lot of stories about these border towns, so now I’m planning a visit there for next weekend. I grew up in a border town located between 2 European Union Countries. Of course no inspection or report was necessary to cross the street, even on the main highway, we were free to cross anytime (the only requirement was having a valid ID just in case), but I always wondered what was the procedure in the past, before the European Community.
Living in Canada, my plan for next weekend is to enter Beebe Plain, QC from the North on Route 247 and continue to the South on Rue Principale. Then turn left on Rue Canusa Avenue (sounds like an Ottawa bilingual street name) to go to Rock Island, QC. I think I’ll never leave Canada in doing so since most of the comments I’ve read place the border right south of the street and not in the centre (not center then) or North of it. On official maps, the road is considered as the continuation of Quebec Route 247 and it’s turning left (North) to Canada when the binational residential area ends. So no need to report as long as I don’t visit anyone living South of the road. But if I do so, I think the right procedure for a car or a bike would be to report to US Custom first, then back to the Canadian one before going into Canusa. Technically, a pedestrian shouldn’t have to go back to the Canadian custom before going to a US home, since they can walk on the US grass side of the road without going back to Canada. But pictures show a secure sidewalk on the Canadian side, surely a safer option.
Once in Rock Island, I just have to be careful not to cross the border by mistake, since at least 3 streets without Custom agent (but full of hidden cameras) are cut by the international line. I’ve read recent stories about possible remote-controlled gates blocking these streets. Not sure if they are already built. Rue Church, where the binational Library stands will stay open for sure, otherwise it will cut access to the library for the Canadians.
Being used to cross European borders without any control, I hope this trip will be a pleasant experience. I’ll write about it here next week.
November 2, 2009 at 6:20 pm
Manu – oh definitely keep us updated! Many thanks!
November 25, 2009 at 6:48 pm
I would imagine there is not much of a customs issue in these places. Canada has more of a threat of U.S. citizens coming across to utilize healthcare within Canada. i think it would be cool to leave in a place like that. You’d learn french and english and get good healthcare and still be a u.s. citizen.
April 21, 2010 at 10:55 pm
well, I’m interested in hearing about everyone’s trip to Canusa Avenue or Beebe Plain or Beebe Quebec. I can’t say that anything I have read and found during my research has been 100% accurate and it will continue to tell an untrue story because it is the only international landport in the world without a documented border.