MINNESOTA, USA — Canadian and American officials have announced that the border between both nations will be closed until at least April 21.
The closure is affecting thousands of people who live and work near the border.
Locals say crossing the border is part of their daily routine, a routine that has been largely disrupted during the pandemic.
Not only has the border closure had a big impact on personal lives, but many business owners are also feeling its effects.
Michael Schwanke and his wife Emily own Voyageurs Guide Service and Property Management in Crane Lake, Minnesota – near the Canadian border.
They own five cabins and host fishing tours, and business is good.
"Last year was a banner year in that regard,” Schwanke says.
They've seen about a 25% to 30% increase in business since the pandemic started.
Most of this new business came from tourists who had scheduled fishing trips to Canada, but weren’t able to cross the border.
"When the pandemic first started, nobody booked anything for a bit there and then it was just like, 'Boom,' the flood gates opened and it got really busy,” Schwanke says.
Debbie Sanders, who owns Frontier Resort in Orr, Minnesota, is also seeing a boost in business.
“You know, everyone just wanted to get out and go fishing, and we were available. So, business-wise it helped us a lot,” Sanders says. "This year I think we're going to be very busy again."
If you're lucky enough to be on the Minnesota side, Sanders says most resorts and fishing guides have done well during the pandemic.
But on the Canadian side, it's been a different story.
"It was a total loss for last year. We had no revenue whatsoever,” resort owner Cindy Hall says.
Hall and her husband Doug own Sand Point Lodge in Ontario, Canada. Their resort is just barely across the border. They own six cabins, but they haven’t been able to visit them for nearly a year.
"I cannot imagine what type of repairs there are going to be since it has been uninhabited for over a year now,” Hall says.
And those cabins will continue to be uninhabited until the Canadian border is back open.
Hall says all of her cabins are booked solid for the season, but she can’t bring in any guests until the border opens.
"We're just not sure when it's going to open this year,” Hall says.
The fishing season in Canada runs from May to October, and Cindy says they're assuming the border won't open until at least halfway through the season.
At this point though, she says half of a season is better than no season at all.