International Falls, MN; my home
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9/29/2020
This is my hometown and I’ve never lived away except for a year or two in Toronto. This is border country. It doesn’t feel like the US; it doesn’t exactly feel like Canada. You can tell by the billboards and local media that you’re straddling two nations. Many of us are dual citizens of Canada and the US. However, the last two decades have been devastating with so many major businesses folding. We’ve lost a lot of people.
One of the first things you’ll notice if you’re visiting is...this is a very difficult place to get to. We no longer have public transportation except by air. We had a Greyhound Bus route to Duluth, 160 miles south, which is the nearest city for major healthcare options, shopping, entertainment, etc. If you don’t have a car here, unless you have a lot of money to fly, you’re not going anywhere.
The people will want to make you stay. We are a welcoming bunch up here and not like most small middle America cities. We’re well aware of news and issues here and in Canada. Most of us have lived somewhere in both countries. It’s not unusual to talk to someone who lived in Phoenix for a while and then Montreal. The high school is good, kind of the pride of the community. We have a two-year community college which is a great option for high school students who can qualify to take college-level classes, and for kids who don’t want to move far away for their first two years of college. Many move to Duluth or Bemidji to attend the closest 4-year universities.
It’s a cheaper place to live. But very, very isolating if you don’t keep yourself busy. Duluth is 160 miles; Minneapolis is 295. The bridge to Canada is two blocks from my home, but because of COVID it’s been closed since March 2020.
Jonathan | International Falls, MN