Infrastructure Official opening of new border crossing ignites local rivalry

C7

Derwin Gowan
Telegraph-Journal

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ST. STEPHEN - Franklin Irving and Cedric McFarlane can possibly share the honours as the first two people over the new bridge crossing the St. Croix River.

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Derwin Gowan/Telegraph-Journal

Steven Farquharson, a director of field operations for the United States Customs and Border Protection, came from Boston Monday to oversee the opening of the new bridge across the St. Croix River linking St. Stephen to Calais, Maine.

Irving, who lives in St. Stephen, thinks he got across a second or two ahead, but McFarlane from Oak Bay cleared the United States Customs and Border Protection entry point a few seconds ahead of Irving, allowing him to turn around and cross back into Canada first.

Meanwhile, Douglas Parr of Fredericton says he crossed first after waiting at the head of the line for five hours at the barricades at the traffic circle at the American end of the approaches to the third bridge linking St. Stephen to Calais, Maine.

Officially, transportation officials took down the barricades, allowing traffic to roll, a bit after 10 a.m. AST in St. Stephen, 9 a.m. EST in Calais.

Some day historians might sort out the conflicting statements on who crossed first.

"I live handy to the bridge and I watched construction for a couple of years and I just thought I should be the first to do it," Irving said Monday after returning to Canada.

He lives a quarter-mile from the new bridge. He arrived at the Canadian end of the bridge "about 8:30 Canadian time" with his dog Molly in the seat beside him - going around the barricade with nobody there to tell him not to.

McFarlane, meanwhile, decided to go for a drive after finishing his early morning skate at the Border Area Community Arena.

He came up to the barricade across the new Highway 1 leading to the bridge. He asked the provincial Transportation staff what was going on.

After a minute or two the transportation crew moved the pylons aside and waved McFarlane through.

As he pulled up to the bridge, he saw a line of trucks that apparently took the access ramp from Church Street. He also saw Irving waiting in his car. McFarlane pulled alongside and rolled down his window.

As McFarlane related the conversation, Irving said something like, "I'm first." McFarlane responded that Irving's Chev would have to beat his Dodge.

About this time the Canada Border Services Agency's opened its barricades. Irving and McFarlane each followed official vehicles in different lanes, ahead of the trucks, McFarlane recounted.

The officers at the American end of the bridge allowed McFarlane quickly through, possibly because he had his Nexus card. They each turned around and came back to Canada.

Parr holds the honours as the first person to drive across the Westmorland Street Bridge in Fredericton in 1981, and the Confederation Bridge to Prince Edward Island in 1997.

When Irving and McFarlane crossed the bridge from Canada, motorists were still waiting at barricades at the traffic circle at the American end, McFarlane said. They turned around and went home with Parr not far behind, McFarlane said.

"That might be true but they took a shortcut to do it and that's not kosher," Parr said later back home in Fredericton. "You have to play the game, but you can't cheat."

In Parr's view, Irving and McFarlane did not leave Canada because they turned around in the no-man's-land between the Canadian and American border stations.

Border officials on both sides of the river did not pay strict attention to who crossed first.

McFarlane and Irving, who have known each other for years, will not likely come to blows over bragging rights about which member of the motoring public crossed first.

"We were both in the starting gate at the same time. I think it will go down neck and neck," Irving said.

McFarlane pulled up alongside of Irving more or less by accident, he said. "I think this is hilarious."