Border towns and villages

[ivegotaname]

Anyplace connecting our hometowns to USA PEI NB or NS and NFLD and LAB

[ivegotaname]

Am thinking of moving from the city to St Stephen. anyone else? If you know a YouTuber from the maritimes please post I love watching locals

[DoctorNick]

Born and raised on Campobello Island, now living in Riverview. We took the kids to visit my family on Campobello over the long weekend and it was the first time in over 2 years that we felt like we could easily pass through the US to get there.

I love the ferry service from Deer Island but it was nice to finally see some of my old American neighbors again. I never thought I would admit that

[Taeolas]

I grew up in Woodstock, NB; actually in Richmond Corner which is pretty much halfway between Houlton, ME and Woodstock.

We regularly crossed the border for gas and groceries and school events and stuff. This was back before 9/11 of course, when you just needed to be friendly and could cross either way.

I moved away long before the border tightened up, but my parents still live up there. Since 9/11 they cross a lot less often then they used to. Part of it was Woodstock growing a lot more and more shopping opportunities showing up in town and in Freddy, so there was less reason to go to Houlton, Presque Isle and Bangor. The exchange rate also further killed crossborder shopping almost as much as the tightened border did. (Houlton had a Walmart for almost a decade before Woodstock got one, but once we got ours I'm sure it cut down a chunk of crossborder travel).

Purely an anecdotal feel, but I've often felt that Houlton and Woodstock seem to be going in opposite directions. Both towns are very similar, but in the 80's and 90's, Houlton felt bigger than Woodstock, but also more industrial/agricultural of sorts. It had the McDonalds and Burger King and KFC and Pizza Hut and Walmart long before Woodstock got them. (Woodstock still doesn't have a BK, but there's one up at Hartland now).

Around the 90's that seemed to start shifting; Woodstock has never really 'boomed' and its growth is still anemic being at the northern edge of the Freddy growthzone; but it feels like it is growing more than Houlton. Getting the Civic Centre and the Walmart and such seemed to help reinvigorate the town a bit, while Houlton I haven't really noticed any real growth (and if anything it feels like it is shrinking). Carleton Mall in Woodstock has managed to stay pretty full even when the Met/SAAN collapsed; but the Ames Mall in Houlton seems almost derilict now.

The downtown cores in both towns need work IMO. Houlton's town square is nicer than the square in Woodstock, but IMO the downtown buildings in Woodstock look nicer; we just need to fill in the empty spots we've gotten in recent years. (Both from lost buildings and lost businesses; filling in Woodstock's Home Hardware spot is a big priority IMO). Houlton's downtown feels more 'rundown' to me, and while the buildings are mostly intact they seem to need more TLC and more businesses lured back there in general.

Now admittedly, I grew up in Woodstock and have been back many times, whereas I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've gone to Houlton in the past decade. But that's just my overall feeling comparing the two towns, even back when I was growing up in the 90's.

[MonctonRad]

I'm a little familiar with the area. My (since deceased) brother-in-law used to be the United Church minister in Centreville, and we would go visit them a couple of times a year when they lived there.

Yes, they popped over to Houlton and Presque Isle all the time to get groceries and for entertainment. I remember going to the theatre in Presque Isle with my sister and brother-in-law to see Fantastic Voyage back in 1966 (it must have been a memorable experience to remember this event 56 years later).

These American towns did seem more substantial at the time, and travel was easier between the two countries. I agree though that the upper river valley towns on the Canadian side now seem more substantial than before, and that the corresponding American towns appear more lethargic.

[Dengler Avenue]

I’ve always wanted to ask:
For those going between 2 places in Maine that are along the border (like between Madawaska and Houlton), which way is faster: U.S.-1 or N.B.-2 then N.B.-95?

[KnoxfordGuy]

I grew up in in Knoxford, just outside Centreville. 10 mins to the border and 5 mins to the Trans Canada. 25 mins to Woodstock. Good location really.

[Taeolas]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

I’ve always wanted to ask:
For those going between 2 places in Maine that are along the border (like between Madawaska and Houlton), which way is faster: U.S.-1 or N.B.-2 then N.B.-95?

Assuming you can cross the border easily (ie have passports handy), I'd say taking the TCH would be easier now. 4 lane highway at 120km/h, with a short stretch to get to the highway would be a lot faster than a rural 2 lane highway.

Before the TCH was twinned, I'd say US-1 was probably marginally faster, due to not needing to cross the border and technically being a bit more direct.

[PEI highway guy]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

I’ve always wanted to ask:
For those going between 2 places in Maine that are along the border (like between Madawaska and Houlton), which way is faster: U.S.-1 or N.B.-2 then N.B.-95?

I have not been on US-1 beyond Houlton, however,, route 1 generally goes through through towns in Maine so the speed limit is constantly fluctuating. NB Route 2 has a 110 K speed limit on a controlled access highway. so it is likely faster.

[ivegotaname]

I used to shop at mardens got a great deal on clothes n other items but it's gotten to be quite junky lately. Now I go to Walmart in Calais if I buy something in town which has killed there downtown shops. Always stop at Dunkin's for hot vanilla chai latte that I can't get anywhere in Canada . Everyone stops at baileyville Irving if they are going to Bangor or further. It used to have a lot of peanut butter sweets too much honestly imo

[josh_cat_eyes]

I believe the mardens in Houlton has now closed. A friend of mine recently went there and he said it wasn’t open. Can anyone else confirm?