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 <doug@...> 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