The absence of Canadian travellers has impacted International Falls according to Mayor Harley Droba.
“We miss you guys [Canadians]. I don’t know if you know that, but we really, really do,” said Droba. “It is so bizarre with the lack of vehicles in our community right now. It’s 100 per cent from not having the Canadian traffic.”
Sunday, March 21 marks one year of the Canadian and U.S. border being closed to non-Canadian citizens to prevent the spread of COVID-19. As of Feb. 21, 2021, the non-essential travel restrictions, between the U.S. and Canada, have been extended to April 21, 2021, according to the Canada Border Services Agency.
As Fort Frances sits right beside the border, International Falls provided location specific services for Fort Frances residents, including Border Boxes.
As a mailbox rental business, it gave Fort Frances residents the opportunity to have parcels shipped, from within the states, to their rented U.S. mailbox. Residents would then drive to pick up their parcel and avoid the high costs of international shipping.
Currently, it has 3,000 parcels waiting to be picked up.
Since the pandemic, roughly 40 customers have called and cancelled their mailbox rental but Border Boxes said a lot of customers are behind on their rent due to not seeing their rental notices in their mailbox.
“It’s not like it [COVID-19 pandemic] happened all the sudden,” said Jed Kittlson, Border Box employee. “But it was sudden enough that a lot of people weren’t able to come and get their parcels that they had here.”
With the border remaining closed, Border Boxes is now offering quotes to have parcels shipped into Canada.
“A lot of people are afraid that we are going to return their items,” said Kittlson. “We just want people to know that we’re not doing that. We’re trying to do our best to be accommodating.”
In addition to Border Boxes, Gaby Hanzuk, volunteer at the Volunteer Bureau and the Family Centre, said Ruby’s Pantry was an amazing source for food to support families using food banks. For US$20, customers could receive a generous sized package of food ranging from 80 to 100 pounds of food.
“It was a monster. There was a jar of pickles, restaurant sized,” said Hanzuk.
Ruby’s Pantry runs every second Monday of the month at the Backus Community Centre from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Hanzuk said the pantry works similar to how the Salvation Army hands out their Christmas meals which allows for only one box to be given per address.
Lois Lundin, executive director at Backus Community Centre, said Canadians used to collect 30 to 40 shares through the program.
“Our friends from Fort Frances are incredibly missed,” said Lundin. She said the amount of food the pantry has access to, has increased since the pandemic, but its U.S. customers have remained steady. The centre has been donating the extra food to other organizations such as the local long-term care home, the local food shelf, churches and the food bank at the college.
Backus Community Center also holds winter performing arts in their auditorium which can hold 1,000 people.
Lundin said there was a lack of attendance this year due to the border being closed – one event had only 80 people in attendance. She said it even lost one of its performances from the Fort Frances Choraliers with Diane Maxey.
Retailers, such as grocery stores and gas stations, have been greatly impacted in International Falls, according to Droba. He said Canadian residents used to shop a lot in town when the exchange rate was right.
However, Droba said he could not say indefinitely whether it was the lack of Canadian business or the impacts of COVID-19 guidelines creating less foot traffic that has put some of its businesses under since the pandemic started.
“We have got to a point where restaurants are open,” said Droba. “We have put better measures in place…So, I think we have been able to put in lots of precautions to try to alleviate as much of the economic impact as possible for the restaurant industry.”
With U.S. President Joe Biden planning to have all adults vaccine-eligible by May 1, a vaccine passport is being deliberated by the Canadian federal government as an option to allow international non-essential travel.
International Falls has struggled to receive COVID-19 vaccines, said Droba, because of the rural nature of all northern Minnesota. In some cases, residents have been travelling outside of town to receive the vaccine, going as far as Baudette or Grand Rapids.
As of Monday, more than 70 per cent of those over the age of 65 have been vaccinated in Koochiching County, according to Robert Pastor, chief executive officer at the Rainy Lake Medical Center.
The Minnesota COVID-19 Repsonse website said Koochiching County has 3,391 residents who have received at least one vaccine and 1,894 residents who have the completed vaccine series. Currently, the general public in Minnesota aged 65 or older are encouraged to get their vaccine along with essential workers, such as workers in health care, child care, food processing and more.
“We’re all cognizant that Canadians do a decent amount of shopping over on our side,” said Droba. “We have definitely missed our Canadian neighbours.”
