PORTLAND — Anyone entering Fitzpatrick Stadium shortly after 5 p.m. Wednesday was greeted by a little bit of Canada. The song “Bobcaygeon,” by that most Canadian of bands, The Tragically Hip, played. Call it a warm welcome to any Canadian visitors for the friendly match between the Portland Hearts of Pine and Halifax Wanderers FC, from a neighbor that as of late hasn’t felt as welcoming as it traditionally has been or should be.
“When I walked in, I heard Shania Twain, so I thought, ‘Well somebody’s Canadian,'” said Michael Fegan of Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, a town about an hour southwest of Halifax.
The game, announced two weeks ago, was the first international friendly in the Hearts of Pine’s young life. For Brian Willett of Brunswick, who holds dual U.S.-Canadian citizenship, this match was a very big deal. Willett plays snare drum in the Valentine Band, members of the Dirigo Union supporters club that keeps the beat nonstop throughout every Hearts of Pine home game.
“I am 100% behind the Hearts of Pine,” said Willett, who immigrated to Maine from Bathurst, New Brunswick, in 2017 to be with his then-fiancée and now wife, a Maine native. He gained his United States citizenship last year. “Halifax is a wonderful city and the Wanderers deserve all the success they’ve had. The fact that they’re getting to be the first international friendly opportunity for the Hearts is huge. Some teams wait years for this opportunity. We get it year one.”
This match couldn’t have come at a better time. If nothing else, it’s a small reminder that neighbors should care for one another and avoid picking silly fights.
The fact is, Maine and its Canadian neighbors should have a friendly, symbiotic relationship. The fact is, the current political climate has curdled that relationship somewhat. According to data released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, just under 210,000 people crossed into Maine from Canada in June. That’s about 90,000 fewer than June 2024.
From February to June, about 865,000 people crossed from Canada into Maine. That was a drop of 339,000 visitors, just over 28%, from the same period in 2024. That’s a lot of lost tourism income. It’s a lot of unnecessarily lost goodwill.
“I have told my family, stay home. It’s not worth risking getting detained at the border. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone,” Willett said. “I hope something will happen that will make things easier because Maine, Quebec and the Maritimes, it’s a vital relationship.”
Fegan said the political climate would not keep him from this game, or from visiting Maine.
“You’re still our neighbors. You’re not going away,” he said.
From his spot in the last row of the Fitzpatrick Stadium stands, Fegan swiped his right arm toward the pitch, where the Hearts of Pine and the Wanderers were just minutes into their game.
“The reason we’re all here is football,” Fegan said. “Look at this. Politics has nothing to do with it.”
The Maine Office of Tourism was on hand to give out free signs to anyone who wanted one. It was a welcome to any Canadian visitors. The flags of both countries met in the middle of the sign, with greetings in French and English.
Bienvenue, Canadiens! Le Maine accueille amis canadiens!
Welcome, Canadians! Maine welcomes our Canadian friends!
“You root against them, then after the game you’re friends again,” said Ernest Stevens of Topsham, a member of Dirigo Union.
In the larger scheme of U.S.-Canada relations, a soccer game in a small city on a Wednesday night isn’t a big deal. But it’s something, and mending fences has to begin with the first nail.
Friendly doesn’t mean too friendly. When Halifax’s Tavio Ciccarelli scored the game-tying goal early in the second half and promptly ran in front of Dirigo Union to celebrate, preen and flex, he was soundly booed.
Hospitality only goes so far.
