Tariffs threaten cross-border family business where Canadians collect their U.S. packages

Sarah Jesmer · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 20, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

Tariffs are spelling uncertainty for a household concern that allows Canadians to usage its U.S. shipping code to person packages from the States.

Halfway House Freight Forwarding is an aptly named parcel pick-up spot that sits halfway betwixt the authoritative Canada-U.S. borderline crossings successful Dundee, Que., and Fort Covington, N.Y.

One reddish doorway leads to Canada, the different to the United States, and Canadians person been utilizing it for decades to marque purchases online from U.S. stores that don't vessel crossed the border.

Canadian customers participate the spot by driving on Chemin de Dundee Centre, a gravel roadworthy astir 100 kilometres southbound of Montreal.

The main level of the location is divided down the mediate by a achromatic line, marking wherever Canada ends and the U.S. begins.

Customers tin locomotion connected either broadside of the enactment to prime up their packages, which are stacked precocious connected handmade two-by-four shelves created by the Patenaude family.

"It was thing backmost successful the day, we had a batch of radical here," said Louis Patenaude, who runs the concern with his siblings. His father, Paul-Maurice, bought the gathering successful the 1950s and moved his household determination from Montreal's South Shore.

Paul-Maurice transformed the gathering from a edifice into a bar, which Patenaude says became a centre for the tiny cross-border assemblage and tourists. His begetter yet went connected to go the politician of Dundee and prefect of the MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent, earlier helium died successful 2022.

"We closed the barroom successful '90, and Dad was looking for thing other to do. And friends were asking if they could usage his American code to person products shipped and, you know, 'go ahead.' And past 1 happening led to different and they said 'you request to commencement a business.' And that's however it started," Patenaude said. 

The barroom is inactive intact connected the main floor. Beer bottles are stacked up connected show gathering particulate and concern cards collected implicit the years decorate the walls betwixt photos.

These days, the location is utilized lone for parcels. Patenaude says they person packages for businesses, specified arsenic car parts for mechanics, arsenic good arsenic idiosyncratic items for mundane Quebecers who bid for galore antithetic reasons.

"I ordered a tiny alpine Christmas histrion and an electrical motorcycle that was connected backmost bid from Costco Canada," wrote Chantal Barabé to CBC connected Facebook, who said she lives astir Trois-Rivières, Que.

"Even though it's a four-hour drive, it's worthy the trip."

A location astatine the centre of cross-border issues

With its unsocial location, Halfway House sits astatine the crossroads of cardinal U.S.–Canada issues — from borderline information and currency fluctuations to tariffs and the endurance of tiny businesses in the look of economical uncertainty.

Customers ordering to the determination are not exempt from authorities checks oregon fees. They indispensable permission the spot done the unpaved exit, which leads to a Canadian customs checkpoint astir 100 metres away. Patenaude says customs agents won't inquire for a passport, but they volition inquire astir what packages were picked up.

LISTEN | A sojourn to Halfway House Freight Forwarding: 

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) said it collects work and taxes connected imported items, including for online buying orders.

"We surface each goods entering Canada to marque definite they are decently declared and conscionable import requirements," said CBSA spokesperson Luke Reimer in an email to CBC. 

A levy of 25 per cent on immoderate goods coming from the U.S. has been successful spot since March 4.

"The CBSA works successful an operating situation that changes connected a regular ground and we are acceptable to respond and accommodate arsenic needed," said Reimer.

Patenaude said concern has slowed down implicit the past fewer months, and uncertainty is the lone definite thing. Customers wage a interest to usage the Halfway House service. If little Canadians bargain U.S. products owed to bargain section campaigns oregon tariffs, it could spell occupation for the household business.

"All I tin spot is thing to bash with tariffs is going to impact the communal person. They're the ones that are going to wage connected some sides," helium said.

While Patenaude says helium understands Canadians' propulsion to bargain local, helium believes there's inactive a request for them to person a reliable mode to import goods from the U.S.

"I've got a batch of radical that I've talked to that are saying, 'we can't stop, we can't get it anyplace else.' So regardless, particularly the concern people, the user is going to wage the brunt of the outgo due to the fact that that's wherever it each boils down to."

Patenaude says his household intends to clasp arsenic dependable arsenic imaginable arsenic the commercialized warfare continues, but successful the meantime, helium hopes the aboriginal holds renovations for the gathering truthful they tin support it going — and sphere household memories.

"Right present we're conscionable trying to support the gathering to support it from falling and support the concern going," helium said.

"We're doing our business, we bask doing it and we anticipation to bash the champion we tin for the radical that we person to bash it for."