ON THE BORDER: BORDER LIFE
The winter road will allow users to travel from the south shore of Lake of the Woods to the Northwest Angle without going through Manitoba, the traditional way to access the Angle by road but a route off-limits because of the pandemic-related U.S.-Canada border closure.
The Angle is in the U.S. but surrounded on three sides by Canada and accessible from Minnesota only by crossing Lake of the Woods. The loss of convenient road access has left the Northwest Angle basically unreachable by tourists since March unless they crossed some 40 miles of open lake. Naturally, business suffered as a result.
A tale of two lakes: Tourism flourishes on south shore of Lake of the Woods while Northwest Angle struggles with border closure during the COVID-19 pandemic
Thanks to the ongoing U.S.-Canada border closure to nonessential travel, getting to the Northwest Angle by road – which requires traveling about 40 miles through Manitoba – hasn’t been an option for anyone but permanent residents and essential workers since March.
Written By:
Brad Dokken and Ann Bailey | 7:00 am, Dec. 21, 2020 ×
Fishermen return to the dock at Ballard s Resort on Lake of the Woods after a day on the water in early October. Tourism on the south shore of Lake of the Woods rebounded after Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz lifted stay-at-home restrictions put into place during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, and business was good throughout the summer. (Photo/ Eric Hylden, Grand Forks Herald)
As part of the project, which we dubbed “On the border,” staff writer Ann Bailey, photographer Eric Hylden, photographer/videographer Sydney Mook and I all traveled the border to interview people who live there and document a snapshot of life as it’s playing out during the pandemic.
Editor-publisher Korrie Wenzel edited and narrated the videos.
ON THE BORDER: BUSINESS
ON THE BORDER: Border Life
Specifically, we made trips to Lancaster, Roseau, Warroad and the south shore of Lake of the Woods. Despite repeated efforts, Hylden and I weren’t able to get to the Northwest Angle – that oddity of Minnesota geography surrounded on three sides by Canada and accessible from the U.S. only by crossing some 40 miles of Lake of the Woods – so we interviewed people virtually, instead.
Dokken: Winter fishing activity begins to heat up across the region inforum.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from inforum.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Modified Dec 12th, 2020 at 6:26 AM
A Recent Day of Ice Fishing with Dave Genz on Lake of the Woods
He is called the “Godfather” of ice fishing. Dave Genz of Clam Outdoors is known and respected throughout the ice fishing world regardless of where you live or what products you favor using. Dave is the inventor of the flip over collapsible fish house as well as an influencer in rods, reels and tackle in the ice fishing industry. This year marks 40 years since the flip over “Fish Trap” fish house was introduced. Recently, I had the privilege for the first time to spend some time in a fish house and actually ice fish with Dave Genz on Lake of the Woods.