Military

DATE=10/25/01

TYPE=English Programs Feature

NUMBER=7-35481

TITLE=US-Canada Border after 9/11

BYLINE=Matthew Algeo

TELEPHONE=619-0720 (Editor)

DATELINE=Van Buren, Maine

EDITOR=Faith Lapidus

CONTENT=

_

INTRO: One of the fronts in the war on terrorism is the 64-hundred kilometer long border between the United States and Canada. Attorney General John Ashcroft is calling for tighter controls at border checkpoints. But in many of the small towns along the border, there are concerns about the effect that might have on the local economy -- and on a way of life. Matthew Algeo (AL-gee-oh) reports.

TEXT: In the wake of the terrorist attacks, security along the Canadian border is tighter than ever. Nearly every vehicle coming into the United States is being searched, and even at the less heavily-traveled checkpoints, long lines can quickly form. The effects of the new policy are being felt most directly in the small towns along the border... towns like Van Buren, Maine.

TAPE: CUT 1 - SFX-Train whistle

TEXT: Van Buren sits on the west side of the Saint John River, just across a short bridge from the Canadian town of Saint Leonard, New Brunswick. But the two communities are connected by more than a bridge. For generations, they have been closely linked economically. Canadians have routinely crossed the border into Van Buren to take advantage of lower prices on everything from milk to gasoline.

TAPE: CUT 2 - SFX-Gas pump

TEXT: At the Dead River Gas Station on Main Street in Van Buren, manager Mike Oulette (wuh-LET) says a lot of his business used to come from Canadians crossing the border for cheap gas. But ever since the terrorist attacks, he says, traffic has been way down.

TAPE: CUT 3 OULETTE

"The Canadian people are not crossin' into the United States here. I imagine because of being searched at the border. They're just not comin'."

TEXT: Van Buren and Saint Leonard are not just connected economically -- the two towns also have strong cultural and social ties. Take Larry Cote (COAT-ee), for example. He's Van Buren's town manager -- but his father was born across the border in Saint Leonard. Mister Cote says the two communities seem farther apart now than they did before September eleventh:

TAPE: CUT 4 COTE

"The people are not coming over as often as they used to, because of the wait at the border. Take for instance -- I know a lot of the customs officers that are at the customs, and even when I cross the border -- They have even checked me."

TEXT: The irony, says Mr. Cote, is that relatively small border checkpoints, like the one in Van Buren are probably the most secure -- since the customs agents personally know many of the people presenting their passports. Still, the town manager says, the heightened security is necessary:

TAPE: CUT 5 COTE

"The security needs to be there -- And I think everybody understands that we need to be more secure."

TEXT: But on the other side of border, officials are concerned. They say the tighter controls could jeopardize the world's most lucrative business partnership. Trade between the United States and Canada amounts to more than a billion dollars -- a day. And some Canadians are also bothered by the fact that Washington is tightening its northern border -- even though there is no evidence that any of the terrorists behind the September eleventh attacks entered the United States from Canada. Ronald Irwin is Canada's Consul General in Boston.

TAPE: CUT 6 IRWIN

"If someone says, 'Oh all the terrorists are coming from Canada,' that's not true. None of the terrorists on September 11th came from Canada, none of them were trained to be pilots in Canada. It's a matter of not pointing fingers, but, let's say, OK, we're in this together - let's try to do a darn good job together."

TEXT: But Mister Irwin says the relationship between Canada and the United States will always be strong -- strong enough to survive even the worst act of terrorism in American history. I'm Matthew Algeo in Van Buren, Maine.

NEB/MA/FIL