On Maine's doorstep, residents of N.B.'s Campobello Island feel abandoned in time of trade crisis
CBC
Valerie Mabey has lived on New Brunswick's Campobello Island most of her life, but these days, it isn't easy.
Islanders have become unwitting victims of U.S. President Donald Trump's effort to reshape the international trading system.
Cross-border relationships have frayed, and Canadians on this 14-kilometre-long outpost in the Bay of Fundy feel isolated and vulnerable.
"We don't have a gas station here. We don't have a bank here," Mabey said. "We're pretty isolated, and it's hard to try to drive an hour to get to your own country."
Because of geography, many of Campobello's 1,000 or so residents rely heavily on crossing the bridge into the nearest town — Lubec, Maine — for gas, groceries and necessities.
But residents are now being charged 25 per cent in Canadian tariffs on the U.S. goods they bring back over the border. And they're bracing for the impact of the U.S. tariffs slated to return April 2.
"I think we're sort of left out to fend for ourselves," Mabey said. "We are part of Canada, but nobody seems to recognize that.
"I don't think they understand. You have to live here to understand it."
Island living means commuting to Maine for daily essentials and driving an hour through the state to cross into Canada at St. Stephen to get health care or other government services.
In the summer months, a ferry runs from Campobello Island to Deer Island and then to the mainland.
Campobello Mayor Harvey Matthews has asked Ottawa for an exemption from the tariffs for residents. So far, he hasn't had any response.
"It's a little disheartening that your own country would do that to you," he said.
"Something needs to change because we're retaliating with tariffs on our own people. It just doesn't make sense. Not one bit. Not to me."
Premier Susan Holt said her government has also tried to get "those exemptions carved out" for residents of Campobello but without success.