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Speak Up

A handful of terrorists brought air travel in North America to a standstill on Sept. 11, 2001. Will the perceived threat of more terrorist activity do the same thing to Aroostook Valley Country Club? It's time for Canadians and their American friends in the border communities of Perth-Andover and Fort Fairfield to work together and find a solution that doesn't threatened the survival of their 80-year-old golf course.

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The stately golf course at the centre of this cross-border kerfuffle is unique along the huge Canada- United States border: Canadians and Americans travel along a country road that starts in Canada and ends in the United States to play golf on a course in Canada. The nearby pro shop is located in the United States, and the fleet of golf carts straddles the international border. Erected at this unique location to escape the United States prohibition in 1927, the course has thrived as a showpiece of international cooperation and is novel tourist attraction for golfers on both sides of the border.

But all that is threatened now. The U.S. Border Patrol has identified this road, which is not serviced by an American customs port as a threat to their national security - a loophole that they intend to close. How many Canadians and Americans will make the trek through Canadian and American ports of entry to play a round of golf? It could spell disaster for the club, including the loss of about 25 Canadian jobs.

While it may be tempting to ridicule the Border Patrol's reasoning that a quiet rural road between Maine and New Brunswick is huge security threat, it is fruitless to argue the point. The United States has every right to patrol their borders as they see fit. The long-term solution to this matter is a political one - the U.S. needs to install a new customs port near the golf course.

American golfers and residents on Russell Road need to pressure their politicians for this port of entry, while Canadians need to do the same with our political representatives to explain to the U.S. how the Canada customs port on Brown Road helps protect our national security, and a similar setup will help the Americans do the same. It is imperative that action starts now to preserve this unique recreational opportunity. It would truly be a shame if this was the last generation that could brag they hit a golf ball out of the country.