We have more in common than we do not

International Falls and its media often refer to this region as borderland. It is a great way of branding this section of Northern Minnesota and Northwestern Ontario. Koochiching County, Lake of the Woods County share a border with the Rainy River District that runs for over a hundred miles and shares lakes and rivers.
The communities of International Falls and Fort Frances and Baudette and Rainy River have built up friendly rivalries. They also share and support each other.
The Fort Frances Fire Department crossed the border on May 23 to assist the Fall’s Fire Department with the fire that destroyed the Ace Hardware building in downtown International falls.
Historically both Fort Frances and International Falls have promoted Rainy Lake as a family destination vacation spot. Similarly Baudette, Rainy River, Morson, Nestor Falls have promoted Lake of the Woods for fishing and family vacations. Collectively we have competed to attract tourists to our unique location in the centre of North America.
The Battle for Peace tug-of-war between rivals Fort Frances and International Falls clearly demonstrated how two communities can come together and share in a fun activity. Since 2007 the two communities have competed with each other.
This year instead of having just a single day of celebration marking the birthdays of each country, Fort Frances and International Falls have extended it to four full days of activity.
Teams of 50 from both sides of the border and attempted to pull their competing communities into the Rainy River. International Falls has been successful once. Fort Frances has had their name put on the trophy three times.
It’s the citizens of both communities who have enjoyed this activity and the spectators who come out to watch. Together we watched the July 1st fireworks from the Fort and the July 4th fireworks from the falls. We participated in each other’s parades and together we recognized the special bonds that have developed across the border of borderland.
It has caught the attention of news media across Canada and the US. It has the potential to grow and build the thought that “Borderland” is the place to travel to celebrate both our national holidays.
We often recite our differences, but when families and friends come together from both sides of the border we find that we have more in common with each other and that the differences we find between our two nations are miniscule.
–Jim Cumming,
Publisher