Re: [borderpoint] Bordervisit: Northwest Angle, Minnesota, USA - The Report ** WORKING VIDEO LINK**

Try this link for the Northwest Angle video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_Am_CsekNg

or

*http://tinyurl.com/y2vkc6

*Cheers!
*
Doug
*
Peter Smaardijk wrote:
> Hi Doug,
>
> The YourTube link doesn't work with me. Could you check that one again
> (or tell me it's my fault :-))?
> Thanks!
>
> Peter
>
> Nice pictures, by the way!
>
> --- Doug Murray/Border Films <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>   
>> Hello all:
>>
>> On Monday I was finally able to visit the Northwest Angle of
>> Minnesota.  
>> In case you're not familiar, the Northwest Angle is a piece of the
>> USA 
>> surrounded on three sides by water and to the west by Manitoba,
>> Canada.  
>> The only land access to the community of Angle Inlet, Minn. is
>> through 
>> Canada. However, there is also a small airstrip and water access in
>> the 
>> summer.  In the winter, when Lake of the Woods freezes, it is
>> possible 
>> to snowmobile into the community without leaving USA (ice) territory.
>>
>> There is little in the way of the typical infrastructure usually seen
>> at 
>> official crossings along the Canada-USA border -- not even a video 
>> camera (as far as I could tell).
>>
>> I took the following route:
>>
>> I started in Winnipeg, the capital of the Province of Manitoba.  I
>> drove 
>> east along the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1) towards Ontario. 
>> About 
>> 100 km later at East Braintree (little more than a couple of houses),
>> I 
>> turned south on Manitoba Provincial Highway 308.
>>
>> I followed 308 south-east for about 60 km.  It is a gravel road but
>> in 
>> excellent condition. I saw only three cars the whole way.  I made a 
>> right turn on Highway 525 and headed east towards the border. 
>>
>> 10 km later I arrived at the official crossing.  Here, Highway 525
>> turns 
>> into Minnesota Highway 49. 
>>
>> Here's the Province of Manitoba map of the area:
>> http://tinyurl.com/y52gxg
>>
>> USA topo: http://tinyurl.com/y6o6dm
>>
>> And the Google Maps hybrid: *http://tinyurl.com/yez7t3  *(note that 
>> "winter road" is actually the boundary vista)
>>
>> At the crossing itself, the vista between Canada and the US is
>> plainly 
>> visible. But it runs north-south! On the north side of the highway
>> there 
>> is a bordermarker ( #919 -  49 17 17.5  -- 95 09 12.0 ). No other
>> large 
>> markers were found.
>>
>> On the pedestal of BM 919 is a State of Minnesota geodetic control 
>> mark.  There is also a small sign alerting people to the location of
>> the 
>> control mark.
>>
>> And a few feet north is another small marker set in concrete. It
>> reads 
>> "International Boundary Commission and is stamped "Angle 1980."  I
>> have 
>> never seen one of these before. 
>>
>> There were no people or official buildings anywhere to be found.  On
>> the 
>> US side is a small electricity installation (transformers of some 
>> kind).  On the Canadian side there is a parking lot only.
>>
>> Upon entering the USA there are a number of signs (in order):
>>
>> - One welcoming visitors to the Red Lake Indian Reservation
>> - One welcoming visitors to the USA and explaining how to check in at
>> US 
>> Customs via videophone (at a point 8 miles down the highway)
>> - Lake of the Woods (Minnnesota) County Highway 49 sign
>> - a sign welcoming visitors to the USA again and to the Northwest
>> Angle
>> - a couple of speed signs lie a few metres beyond
>>
>> Looking the other way towards Manitoba there are far fewer signs:
>>
>> - A sign welcoming visitors to Manitoba
>> - A sign near the parking lot that says "Canada Customs Examination 
>> Area" - but no buildings or agents
>> - A sign marking the start of Northwest Angle Provincial Forest.
>>
>> There is no change in road here - it is gravel on both sides.  Only 
>> electrical wires cross the border - no telephone or cable tv wires to
>> be 
>> seen. 
>>
>> The only people I saw were a couple of hunters (dressed in orange).
>> They 
>> were a few hundred metres north of the crossing and standing in the 
>> vista. There was also a small hunters "blind" where they could get a 
>> better view of their prey (deer).
>>
>> Because I had a rental car and didn't have the correct insurance, I 
>> decided not to risk driving the 8 miles to the Customs videophone.  I
>>
>> certainly will the next time.
>>
>> After snapping pictures (I'm slowly posting them here: 
>> *http://tinyurl.com/yju4ag  *  -- to see a map with photo locations 
>> click "map" on the photo's page) I headed back on Highway 525 to
>> Highway 
>> 308. I turned south on 308 and headed to Sprague, Manitoba about 35
>> km 
>> south, and near the 49th parallel boundary. 
>>
>> I took Highway 12 west to Highway 89 in the hopes of visiting the 
>> Piney-PineCreek airport that lies directly on the Canada-USA border. 
>> I 
>> was able to see it from a distance, but it was getting late and I was
>>
>> unable to get any good pictures.  I do hope to revisit this place
>> before 
>> I head back to Vancouver on Saturday.  I am also hoping to get out to
>>
>> the International Peace Garden, but it is quite far from Winnipeg.
>>
>> Check for new pictures on my Flickr site (*http://tinyurl.com/yju4ag)
>>
>> *often over the next few days as it will take some time to post all
>> the 
>> images.  I have video too,  and will upload to YouTube and provide
>> links 
>> shortly.  Here's the first video: *http://tinyurl.com/kghrw*
>>
>> Enjoy!!
>>
>> Doug
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> -- 
>>
>> Doug Murray Productions/Border Films
>> sounds+images+words
>> Vancouver, BC Canada
>>
>> Voice: +1.604.728.1407
>> Fax: +1.206.337.1671
>> Skype: +1.206.734.4425 or borderfilms
>>
>>
>>
>>     
>
>
>
>  
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-- 

Doug Murray Productions/Border Films
sounds+images+words
Vancouver, BC Canada

Voice: +1.604.728.1407
Fax: +1.206.337.1671
Skype: +1.206.734.4425 or borderfilms