Edna Armstrong and Lilly Quinn are sisters who see each other often, even with an international border in between them. They don’t take it for granted. The sisters met Wednesday in the middle of the Ferry Point International Bridge between St. Stephen, N.B., and Calais, Maine, to kick off the 53rd annual International Homecoming Festival. “There’s families on both sides of the border and it’s important that we meet up and let everyone know,” said Edna. “It’s not two communities; it’s really one community. And it’s been this way for a very long time.” Edna lives in St. Stephen and Lilly lives in Calais, where she holds dual Canada-U.S. citizenship. Lilly said it became clear just how many local families were divided by the border during COVID-19 travel restrictions. “We would meet on each side of the (St. Croix River) and talk on our telephones so that we could be together,” says Lilly. “I was at one boat landing, and she was at the other.” The current turmoil of the trade war between Canada and the U.S., now well into its second year, has created another type of barrier at the border. There’s been a slight increase in Canadians crossing the border to the United States in recent months, following historic declines after U.S. President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025. The pull of cheaper products stateside, especially fuel, has kept the cross-border habit strong for many locals living on the Canadian side. St. Stephen Mayor Steve Backman, who also has family in Maine, said economic and personal connections remain strong in the area, as demonstrated by Wednesday’s festival kick off. “It really shows how friendship can overpower politics,” said Backman. “We’re two separate communities and two separate countries. Yet, we function as one.” There’s the oft-repeated local legend, unverified as it is, that St. Stephen gave gunpowder to Calais for Fourth of July celebrations during the War of 1812 between the U.S. and Great Britain, when Canada was a British colony. Calais Mayor Marcia Rogers said both communities have historically shown how to overcome disagreements between both countries. “No matter what it is that’s going on the outside, we still have this community on both sides, we’re one community,” said Rogers. Customs agents from the U.S. and Canada also met in the middle of the bridge to shake hands and exchange flags from each other’s countries. The fire chiefs from St. Stephen and Calais also participated in Wednesday’s ceremony, commemorating the long tradition of both departments crossing the border to provide help and equipment during emergencies. “It’s not a one-sided event,” said Calais Fire Chief Bill Lee. “We rely heavily on each other. We respect each other.” The unique arrangement between both fire departments was chronicled in a 1937 New York Times story with the headline: “Calais and St. Stephen Forget the Border In Fighting Fires…” St. Stephen Fire Chief Sean Morton said some of the first training he did as a firefighter in New Brunswick’s Charlotte County about 40 years ago happened in Calais. “They had a brand-new ladder truck at the time, and now, it’s not the brand-new ladder truck,” said Morton. “We’ve got the brand new one on this side of the border. So, we help each other, and it’s been going on forever.” The International Homecoming Festival runs until Sunday. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
