One People in Two Countries / Une Vallée sans frontière

English: , To St. John Valley residents, the river was never a dividing boundary. , In 1842, distant governments finally agreed to divide the U.S. and Canada along the St. John River. Generations before, Acadians had settled the Valley in communities spanning both sides of the river. These French-speaking settlements were culturally united though political control passed to England and then divided between the U.S. and Canada. It is no wonder the Valley is sometimes called "The Land In Between.”, Voices of the Valley , “We are all in this together. Let me know how I can help.” , , Ghislain Morin, Saint Hilaire Historical Society, Did you know? , In 1930, despite the Depression, Fort Kent was taking a big step towards the future. Its first vehicle at last crossed the new bridge to Clair, New Brunswick. Before that, the town relied on its two ferries. Or for a nickel you could walk across the suspension footbridge built in 1905, the Pont des piétons. Though in winter, the frozen river could be crossed on foot, or by horse, sleigh, or motor car. In 2014, a lower profile concrete span replaced the rounded steel arches of the 1930 bridge., “We are la colonne vertébrale, the spinal column, from Acadian settlements stretched along the river. If we have one problem, the whole Valley is affected! , , Father Jacques LaPointe, historian ,