LIVE: Ice Road Brings Revenue, But Uncertainty Remains For Resorts On Northwest Angle

Resorts Are Cut Off From U.S. By Land Due To COVID-Induced Border Closing

Resort owners in Minnesota’s Northwest Angle are facing new uncertainty after a lifeline on the ice helped them bring customers over winter.

The Angle is only accessible by land through Canada. With the Canadian border closed, American anglers can’t reach the dozen resorts on the angle.
An 30 mile road with 22 miles over the ice on Lake of the Woods helped connect the Angle to the mainland this winter.
Joe Woods with Lake of the Woods Tourism says resorts were able to generate about half of their normal revenue with the road.
But the ice road is closed, and so is the border still, with no plans announced to open it.
That makes things uncertain again for the busy summer season.

Henry says, “These resorts are just struggling under a very unique circumstance. What we’re hoping is that all the money coming down through the federal government with COVID relief and such, that perhaps they could get a piece of that.”

While the border stays closed, the only methods to reach the Angle are a ferry service over Lake of the Woods, or a seaplane, methods that Henry admits are too pricey for some customers.