ST. STEPHEN, New Brunswick — Those gun-toting American cops have been told for the second time in two weeks to leave their shooting irons at home, or they can’t participate in the St. Stephen portion of the 22nd International Festival parade Saturday.

The gun controversy has caused a stir on both sides of the international border, and some residents in Calais, Maine, and St. Stephen are up in arms.

The cooperative relationship that exists between Calais and St. Stephen is celebrated each year during the International Festival. But that cooperation threatened to come apart when Canadian customs officials announced last week that U.S. police officers could not wear their sidearms during the St. Stephen portion of the parade.

Each year, police vehicles and officers from Calais, St. Stephen, the Maine State Police, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the U.S. Border Patrol, and Maine’s Washington County Sheriff’s Department participate in the parade that begins in one country and ends in the other. When the parade is over, the officers who are on duty go back on patrol.

During the “Hands Across the Border” ceremony Sunday, which kicked off the festival week, Canadian officials said they believed the issue had been resolved, and once an officer had registered his gun with the St. Stephen Police Department, he would be allowed to carry it into the country.

It became clear this week that the matter was not resolved. St. Stephen Mayor Allen Gillmor said Thursday that he had been told by his Member of Parliament, Harold Culbert, that all the officer had to do was leave his name and the gun’s serial number. “Since that time, customs has said they can’t do that,” Gillmor said.

The mayor said that he planned to meet with Canadian customs to see if an amicable solution could be reached before Saturday. “I don’t feel optimistic. I have been to customs meetings before, and it all seems all cut and dried before they get there,” he explained.

Calais Police Chief Michael Milburn said in a telephone interview late Thursday afternoon that he had spoken with Canadian customs officials who reiterated their position that U.S. police officers would not be allowed to bring their guns into Canada. “The intent of this week is to show the close relationship between the two communities, and I personally am going to respect the rules and regulations and laws of that country,” he said.

Although Calais police plan to participate in the parade without their guns, Milburn said that he had heard that officers from the Maine State Police, Washington County Sheriff’s Department and U.S. Border Patrol would not join the parade until it crossed the bridge into Calais.