[EN IMAGES] Illegal crossings in Saint-Armand: “At the end” of the damage, he has a trench dug

SAINT-ARMAND | Forced to live with an increase in illegal crossings at the Canadian-American border, residents of Saint-Armand have had enough, so much so that one of them had a trench dug to block the smugglers’ vehicles.

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“They broke down my fences at least five or six times before I decided to react. When I got there, I was at the end of my rope,” explains Normand Litjens, a native of this small Estrie municipality of 1,200 souls.

This is because each time our installations were damaged, the man’s animals left his land, causing their share of problems.

Help from its American neighbor

After making numerous calls to various authorities to find a solution, Mr. Litjens finally reached an agreement with his American neighbor, a foundation contractor.

“He had the necessary machinery, so we dug a trench 6 feet wide by 4 feet deep over a distance of approximately 1,250 feet. It has become impossible to pass through, the vehicles remain stuck,” explains the man who even helped the police to dislodge abandoned vehicles from his trench in recent months.

However, just a few hours after our departure, another of its fences was broken down by the passage of an illegal migrant vehicle. The car took the asphalt road, the only place where it is impossible to dig a trench. The vehicle appears to have been damaged, as debris was visible on the ground.

Normand Litjens, who also acts as a municipal councilor for Saint-Armand, believes that illegal crossings reached a peak last year. Since late summer, residents have noticed more movement toward the United States. Statistics from the American border services, US Customs and Border Protection, also confirm their impression, since a clear increase in interceptions in the United States has been recorded in recent months compared to last year.

Several other residents echoed the same sentiment during the passage of the Newspaper. Some are even thinking of taking inspiration from Mr. Litjens.

“We also thought about digging a trench. It’s not a bad idea and it solves part of the problem,” explains Mary Mcnamara, who lives a stone’s throw from the border.

Never seen anything like this

A retired teacher has lost count of the number of people who have used his property to cross into the neighboring town of Highgate, Vermont, since Roxham Road closed a year ago. Owner of this residence since 2010, he says he has never seen anything like it.

On February 14, when he woke up, tire tracks were visible everywhere on his land.

“The problem is that on Google Maps, they show a path on the other side of the border,” says André Labelle. But this path does not exist, so they search and end up passing through a field.

Many other vehicles have been abandoned in its American neighbor’s field in recent months. The most recent case dates from Super Bowl day, when Mr. Labelle noticed a Toyota Sienna registered in Illinois a few meters from his house.

A smuggler’s minivan has even already been half abandoned on its land in 2022, straddling the border. After many steps, the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) finally came to tow the vehicle a week later.

As for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), which is supposed to ensure security around the border, citizens believe that with current laws and reduced numbers, it is very difficult for them to do anything.

Illegal crossings in Saint-Armand: weapons and “suspicious packages” seen by residents

The anxiety of the citizens of Saint-Armand is growing, while some residents have reported seeing people crossing with weapons and “suspicious packages,” denounces the mayor.

“It is certain that we are also noticing an upsurge which is quite consistent with the closure of Roxham Road,” notes Caroline Rosetti. Lately it seems to be mostly people going to the United States.”

Caroline Rosetti, mayor of Saint-Armand. Photo provided by the City of Saint-Armand

According to her, Bradley, Luke and Pelletier South roads are the most used.

While the majority of people crossing appear to be harmless, other people have appeared rather suspicious carrying weapons and other types of shady packages.

Moreover, a week ago, the New York Post dedicated its front page to the problems of illegal migrants in the small American town of Swanton, located very close to Saint-Armand, on the other side of the border. Residents told the newspaper that they did not feel safe due to the numerous illegal crossings in the woods. Agents even reportedly suggested that those living along the border put a gun in their backpack.

Special meeting

Faced with the problem, a meeting was to be held this evening so that all the partners involved in the matter could talk to each other. Citizens must have the floor to share their concerns. However, the RCMP postponed the event yesterday at the end of the day to a date currently unknown.

The RCMP, the SQ and a representative of the federal MP for Brome–Missisquoi, Pascale St-Onge, were to be present during this special assembly.

“The problem is that it is not our jurisdiction,” deplores M.^me Rosetti. Citizens share information with us, we try to share it with the competent authorities, but having everyone together in the same room might make things easier.”

Non-existent paths

Furthermore, the City is trying to approach Google to have certain paths removed from their map.

“There are roads that don’t even exist and appear on Google Maps. First of all, if it were removed, people probably wouldn’t try it. But it’s not easy to contact Google,” she says.