Oh, Canada!
For the last couple of months, the bridge between my hometown of Massena and my mother's hometown of Cornwall, Ontario, Canada, has been blocked by Akwesasne Mohawks, the tribe which governs Cornwall Island, the half way stopping point between Massena and Cornwall. In a nutshell, here's what the dispute is about:
The Seaway International Bridge, which connects Cornwall to Massena via two spans, has been closed for a month to people traveling from the United States to Canada, because of a dispute between the Mohawks and the Canada Border Services Agency about a plan to arm border guards.
This might seem like a "blip" on the radar screen of world affairs, but it sure affects the people and business in my hometown, and my family in particular. For many business in Massena, already struggling to stay afloat amid the closing of the GM plant, layoffs at Alcoa, a half-empty mall and a main street of empty storefronts, a drop off in customers from seems almost unthinkable. Right now, if Cornwall residents want to visit Massena they have to go 45 minutes to cross at Ogdensburg, NY, and 45 minutes to get back home. There are many folks who work on both sides of the border who now have real issues with getting to work.
Beyond the obvious blows to the economy, is the fact that my mother (or any of us) can't get quickly over the border to visit relatives, and visa versa. A quick trip that we have taken for granted all our lives now takes thought and planning, and becomes an all day affair.
There have even been rumors of the Seaway International Bridge closing altogether, which would surely sound the death knell for several businesses in Massena, not to mention the hit the Mall would take. It's just beyond belief that I will not have quick access to my relatives in Cornwall when I come up for a visit.
Let's hope the U.S. government steps in "soon" to resolve this issue, recognizing the effect it has had on the economy of an already depressed town.
(As a follow up to this post, my mother and sister tried to cross at one of the nearby borders during which it was discovered my mother's visa expired five years ago! At the Massena-Cornwall border, the guards knew her and never looked very closely!)
The Seaway International Bridge, which connects Cornwall to Massena via two spans, has been closed for a month to people traveling from the United States to Canada, because of a dispute between the Mohawks and the Canada Border Services Agency about a plan to arm border guards.
This might seem like a "blip" on the radar screen of world affairs, but it sure affects the people and business in my hometown, and my family in particular. For many business in Massena, already struggling to stay afloat amid the closing of the GM plant, layoffs at Alcoa, a half-empty mall and a main street of empty storefronts, a drop off in customers from seems almost unthinkable. Right now, if Cornwall residents want to visit Massena they have to go 45 minutes to cross at Ogdensburg, NY, and 45 minutes to get back home. There are many folks who work on both sides of the border who now have real issues with getting to work.
Beyond the obvious blows to the economy, is the fact that my mother (or any of us) can't get quickly over the border to visit relatives, and visa versa. A quick trip that we have taken for granted all our lives now takes thought and planning, and becomes an all day affair.
There have even been rumors of the Seaway International Bridge closing altogether, which would surely sound the death knell for several businesses in Massena, not to mention the hit the Mall would take. It's just beyond belief that I will not have quick access to my relatives in Cornwall when I come up for a visit.
Let's hope the U.S. government steps in "soon" to resolve this issue, recognizing the effect it has had on the economy of an already depressed town.
(As a follow up to this post, my mother and sister tried to cross at one of the nearby borders during which it was discovered my mother's visa expired five years ago! At the Massena-Cornwall border, the guards knew her and never looked very closely!)
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