NorthernWilds

A special look at our northern neighbours

When Northern Wilds was a fledgling, quarterly publication oh so many years ago, Amber told prospective advertisers one thing we hoped to accomplish was to “blur the border.” While Minnesota and Ontario are separated by an international boundary, the people living on either side of it are pretty much the same. We wanted Northern Wilds to focus on what we had in common. Since then, we like to think we’ve done a good job of doing so. Many of our readers agree.

But we also respect the differences that make us either American or Canadian. Careful readers will notice that our Canadian writers use different spellings of some words (neighbour rather than neighbor, grey rather than gray, etc.). We also make note of separate national holidays, such as Canada Day and Independence Day. This year, Canada Day, celebrated on Saturday, July 1, is extra special, because it marks the nation’s 150th birthday. In honor of that occasion, we’re devoting this issue by saying, Happy Birthday, Neighbours!

Inside, you’ll find a collection of stories that focus on aspects of Canada; its history and culture that you may or may not know. Have you ever heard about the troops who marched across frozen Nipigon Bay on their way to quell a western rebellion? How about the German WWII POWs who worked in Ontario logging camps? Did you know

that Canada offers the best freshwater fishing in the world? Or that no one really knows where Daniel Greysolon, Sieur Du Lhut, the namesake of Duluth, is buried in Montreal?

We have a remarkable collection of Canadian advertisers and contributors, to whom we offer a sincere tip of the hat. While our advertisers are too numerous to mention individually, many of them have been loyal to us for years. May we say, thank you. Some of our contributors have long appeared in every issue, beginning with Elle Andra-Warner, who has entertained our readers and opened many doors for Northern Wilds. Her husband, Glenn, makes sure our readers can find every issue of Northern Wilds in over 40 locations in and around Thunder Bay. Gord Ellis, who is adept with a guitar as he is with a fishing rod (see Casey Fitchett’s story in this issue) has written a monthly outdoor column for years. Julia Prinselaar, who is interested in gardens, forests and the natural traditions of this place, has been with us for several years. Newer, but no less appreciated, are Kim Casey and Kathy Toivonen, who offer authentic perspectives of northern life. And, then there is photographer James Smedley, who often provides us with award-winning photos. Thanks to all of you for making Northern Wilds a magazine that truly represents Lake Superior’s North Shore. —Shawn Perich and Amber Pratt

Do you have a question for one of our writers? Or an interesting photo, recipe, or story you’d like to share with Northern Wilds? Please send it to breana@northernwilds.com.

Trowbridge Island Lighthouse was built of reinforced concrete in 1924 and is topped with a red lantern, which houses a third-order Fresnel lens. | ELLE ANDRA-WARNER

It’s a 90-minute sail on Sail Superior’s 40-foot Frodo to get to Trowbridge Island, which is located about 15 miles northeast of Thunder Bay. | ELLE ANDRA-WARNER

Trowbridge Island Lighthouse On

the Lake Superior Water Trail

THUNDER BAY—This summer, one of Ontario’s prettiest lighthouses on Lake Superior—Trowbridge Island Lighthouse—is getting a fresh look, thanks to the volunteers of the Canadian Lighthouses of Lake Superior Inc. (CLLS), an umbrella organization formed to restore lighthouses along the North Shore. CLLS will be updating and reconditioning the dock, carrying out conservation work, fixing the floor in the lighthouse keepers’ semi-detached house, painting the tower and upgrading the island trails and wooden staircase.

Located offshore from Sibley Peninsula, about 15 miles (24 km) northeast of Thunder Bay, the 39-foot-high octagonal lighthouse tower on Trowbridge Island was built of reinforced concrete in 1924 and is perched at the highest point on the island. Topping the tower is a red decagonal lantern, which houses a third-order Fresnel lens with a 16-mile visibility range. The lighthouse marks the north side entrance to the waters of Thunder Bay and rises 114 feet above the lake.

The small rocky island was named after New York’s Charles A. Trowbridge, one of the original officers of the Silver Islet Mining Company, which owned a silver mine— the world’s richest 1870-1884—on nearby Silver Islet. He also happened to be related to the president of Silver Islet Mining Company, Alexander Sibley, whose sister was married to Trowbridge’s uncle, Charles Christopher Trowbridge, a former mayor of Detroit and member of the 1820 Lewis Cass expedition, exploring the wilderness region of Lake Superior and the upper region of Mississippi Valley. (Sibley was also the brother of Minnesota’s first governor, Henry Hastings Sibley.)

The 90-minute sail with Sail Superior to the island from Thunder Bay is itself an interesting journey. The route is part of the Lake Superior Water Trail, launched this year as part of Trans-Canada Trails system. On the way, you sail past Thunder Bay Main Lighthouse, Welcome Island Lighthouse, Angus Island Lighthouse and the towering Thunder Cape, where a lighthouse once stood.

Rugged, rocky cliffs border the island, making docking a challenge at times. Near the dock is a lichen-covered helicopter pad, duplex two-story keepers’ house and the start of a lichen-covered concrete walkway leading to mid-island, the fog horn house and a 175-step wooden staircase up the hillside to the lighthouse. The long climb up the stairs is well worth it to get up close to the historic lighthouse and see the stunning, panoramic views of Lake Superior stretching to the horizon.

The waters around the island have been the scene of several famous shipwrecks. On November 17, 1906 during a sudden snowstorm with strong wind gusts, the 255-foot Canadian steamer Theano, bound for Port Arthur (now Thunder Bay) with a cargo of steel rails, was pushed off course into Trowbridge Island, crushing her side after hitting the rocky shore broadside. She sank and wasn’t located until 2005 in 360 feet (110 km) of water. Then, in 1953, the 424-foot Scotiadoc (launched in 1904 as the Martin Mullen) sank near the island in heavy fog and rain after colliding with the 451-foot freighter Burlington, resulting in one death of her 29-man crew. She was located in 2013 by a group of shipwreck hunters in more than 850 feet of water, giving her the distinction of being the deepest known shipwreck in the Great Lakes.

While Trowbridge will be under construction most of the summer, the public is invited by CLLS to visit the site during the Rendezvous event on August 19.

For more information, visit: clls.ca/event/trowbridge-tharbour-sleeping-giant-rendezvous —Elle Andra-Warner

[BOTTOM] The lighthouse keeper and assistant shared a two-story duplex house. | ELLE ANDRA-WARNER

[TOP] A 175-step wooden staircase goes to the highest point on Trowbridge Island. Below it is the red-roofed fog house. | ELLE ANDRA-WARNER

Canada 150: Dogwood and warblers

NORTH SHORE—On a sunny, summer day in the Northwoods, it’s a delight to hear the clear voice of a white-throated sparrow sing “Oh sweet Canada, Canada, Canada” beside a sparkling lake. This summer, with the celebration of Canada’s sesquicentennial, I expect that those patriotic sparrows will sing even more incessantly than usual.

They aren’t wrong either—about Canada being sweet. Its hardwood forests produced a record 13.5 million gallons of maple syrup in 2016, which amounts to approximately 70 percent of the world’s maple syrup. Quebec’s maple forests may be lovely, but I have to admit that they’re not my favorite.

The rocky, mossy, damp boreal forests have won my heart, and the hearts of white-throated sparrows, Canada warblers and 300 other species of birds that rely on these extensive ecosystems to breed. The way to one’s heart is through the stomach, after all, and the boreal forest provides a banquet of blackflies, mosquitoes and caterpillars for harried parents to feed their hungry chicks.

Below the evergreen canopy, underneath the cacophony of birdsong, just above the lakeshore, and among the buzzing mosquito clouds, patches of white flowers crouch modestly. Don’t let them fool you. Cornus canadensis, aka Canada dogwood or bunchberry, is one of the fastest plants on Earth. We’ll get to that in a minute.

The four large, silky, white “petals” that glow in dim light are hard to miss. They aren’t petals, though; they are modified leaves that gently cup a cluster of itty bitty flowers. Each blossom in the bunch has four creamy white petals of their own, and it’s worth getting on your hands and knees to see them.

The inconspicuous flowers hide a secret weapon.

While the pollen is not yet mature, the four petals bend securely inward, with just a thin spike jutting upward from the tip of one petal. It is the trigger. The petals press firmly downward on the stamens, keeping them restrained. When the pollen is ready, any unsuspecting insect that bumps the petal’s hair trigger will initiate a launch to rival NASA’s.

[ABOVE] When bunchberry’s complex pollen release system works, the plants produce a cluster of brilliant red berries that are edible for both animals and humans. | EMILY STONE

When the petals spring open, the stalk (filament) of the stamen releases elastic energy and straightens upward in an arch. The pollen-loaded anther on the end follows the arch, but rotates just enough to fling the pollen so that it can reach maximum vertical speed. This action takes less time than a bullet needs to travel the length of a rifle barrel.

The result is that the pollen experiences 2,400 times the acceleration of gravity; 800 times the acceleration that the Space Shuttle does during liftoff; and is launched more than 10 times the height of the flower. From this lofty altitude of 2.5 centimeters, the pollen can be picked up by the wind. Or the soaring pollen might smack into the bee who triggered the launch and travel to a different flower that way. While the effort may seem extreme, bunchberries cannot self-pollinate, so this out-crossing is necessary to produce seeds and fruit.

When looking closely at a cluster of bunchberry flowers, you can tell which ones have opened. The closed buds are either pale green or white. Once triggered, the petals arch back to reveal a dark, reddish-brown style at the center.

You can see the beginnings of berries in the dark tips of each of the tiny flowers. |

If you’re not impressed by the bunchberry’s blooming or pollinating, have you ever eaten the fruit? The late-summer clusters of crimson are just as pretty as the flowers, and they have a mildly sweet flavor, slightly gelatinous texture, and the pleasant crunch of one or two small seeds.

The leaves are also particularly beautiful in the fall. The plants spread through underground rhizomes, and sprout up in patches of four-leaved clones. Depending on conditions, most, some, or none of the

plants will develop two more leaves (making six total) and a flower cluster. As the autumn tree canopy changes color, the bunchberry develops lovely maroon veins and eventually turns entirely deep red. How patriotic for this little flower to be both white and red in multiple ways; how appropriate for this boreal gem to be named after Canada.—Emily M. Stone

EMILY STONE

Border history — The story of the Outlaw Bridge

PIGEON RIVER—Folks in the Northern Wilds pride themselves on being independent. That adventurous spirit has a long history and includes many stories of determination. Perhaps none more legendary than the tale of the “Outlaw Bridge,” built in 1917 by average citizens without government oversight or assistance.

There is a record of automobile travel across the border before the bridge was constructed. The Cook County NewsHerald reported that W.H. Foot, A.E. Blanchard and Bert Skeel of the Central Garage of Port Arthur made the trip on the nearly finished Duluth to Port Arthur Road in August, 1915. The article states that they made the trip despite “about eight miles of road on the Canadian side that has not been graded, no bridge across the Pigeon River and about two miles on this side has not been cut out.”

However, it was noted the trip was made with “considerable difficulty.” The men made the return trip to Port Arthur by boat. Their trek highlighted the need to bridge the gap between the two countries.

The roads on the U.S. and Canadian sides were completed in 1916 and 1917, but there was still a gap across the Pigeon River. Because the Pigeon River is an international waterway, any bridge constructed could only be done so as a joint action of the U.S. and Canadian federal governments.

U.S. proponents of the bridge reached out to legislators but were told by Congressman Clarence B. Miller that it would take three years to get federal funding. Their Canadian counterparts heard the same. Knowing that, citizens on both sides of the border took matters into their own hands.

According to local historian Dan Helmerson, credit for the bridge construction goes to the Rotary Clubs of Duluth and Port Arthur and Fort William, along with Canadian lumberman William Scott (owner of the Pigeon River Timber Company) who spearheaded the entire project and donated the timbers used to construct the bridge.

They raised the funds, which included $2,000 from Cook County and $1,500 each from the Canadian and Duluth Rotary Clubs. The group enlisted Fegles Engineering to do the necessary engineering and built the wooden structure. The cost of the bridge? According to the Cook County News-Herald, $4,801.78.

It wasn’t perfect. The Cook County News-Herald reports on an inspection of the bridge by county commissioners, the county auditor, the county surveyor and William Corcoran of the Pigeon River Lumber Company on May 2, 1917. The article declares the group was “highly pleased with the bridge and say it is a good substantial structure, and except for the approaches at both ends, it is fully completed.”

Other reports explain that the builders ran short of materials and the approaches on the 120-foot bridge were too short and steep.

Despite its shortcomings, there was an official dedication of the bridge on Saturday, August 18, 1917. Invitations were sent only to state and provincial authorities. According to the 1971 issue of The Rotarian, no one wanted federal officials to know about the bridge until it was a “fait accompli.”

The hosts expected about 50 people from Duluth for the occasion and fewer from Canada. The popularity of the Outlaw Bridge was greatly underestimated— over 500 people came to celebrate the bridging of the gap between nations.

The Canadian delegation included 25

touring cars, led by two bagpipers. The northern contingent was followed by a “repair car,” carrying tools, spare parts and replacement tools. The first car crossing the bridge from the American side was a Ford, driven by Emil Hall.

The celebration lasted three days and most of the dignitaries gathered at the Cook County courthouse, which was then just six years old.

The wooden bridge itself lasted for 13 years. In 1930, the Outlaw Bridge was replaced by an all-steel bridge—20 feet longer with safer approaches. It was paid for jointly by the U.S. and Canadian govern -

ments and was dubbed the International Bridge.

For 33 years, the “new bridge” at the site of the Outlaw Bridge served as the entry into the U.S. from Canada. In 1963, a third bridge was constructed on Highway 61 at the current site of the Grand Portage/Pigeon River port of entry.

But memories of the old bridges live on in Cook County Historical Society archives and in stories handed down for generations about the resolute citizens who decided not to wait for government help, but built their own bridge.

The Cook County Historical Society invites all to join them for “Bridging the Gap: 100th Anniversary of the Outlaw Bridge” on Saturday, July 29 at 11 a.m. at the Johnson Heritage Post in Grand Marais.

At the event, Professor Beverly Soloway from Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, will share the Canadian viewpoint of the Outlaw Bridge.

Dan Helmerson will speak about the Outlaw Bridge from the Cook County resident’s point of view. He has gathered an interesting assortment of information about the bridge and the characters that constructed it. He will also delve into the history of what is now Highway 61.

Helmerson is collecting stories that North Shore residents may have heard from their parents or grandparents about the Outlaw Bridge. If you have a tale to tell, contact him at (941) 202-8880 or email danhelmerson@gmail.com

The presentation will be followed by a luncheon/barbecue, provided by the Cook County Historical Society. Admission is free and all are welcome.—Rhonda Silence

A very bumpy Old Highway 61 takes visitors to where the Outlaw Bridge once connected the U.S. and Canada. | RHONDA SILENCE

The Outlaw Bridge was built by Minnesota and Canadian citizens, with no help or oversight from their respective federal governments. | COOK COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

When soldiers marched to Nipigon

NIPIGON—The extreme terrain along Lake Superior’s northern shore had a part to play in the first all-Canadian war. But what is not documented in the history books, is what was actually going on in Nipigon, when the 1885 Northwest Resistance unfolded.

It started when the newly formed Canadian government decided to expand westward. A plan that probably would have went a lot better than it did, if the officials had consulted with the Métis already living in the area. But seeing these people with mixed heritage more as squatters than rightful owners of the land that they had cultivated, the Minister of Public Works sent surveyors to the Red River Settlement in 1869.

Louis Riel was born in the Red River Settlement, located close to where Winnipeg is now situated. At the age of 14, he went to Quebec to become a priest. When his father died, Riel stopped his studies and worked as a law clerk to assist his family. He then moved to the U.S. and in 1868, he returned to the Red River Settlement. Understanding the underlying implications of the surveyors’ unannounced presence, the charismatic man warned the people. This led to the Métis National Committee forming a provisional government, choosing Riel as their president. A clash between the two governments quickly ensued, resulting in Thomas Scott being executed and Riel returning to the U.S.

This same struggle was going on for the Métis in Saskatchewan. They, too, were concerned about the government’s intentions, so they elected Gabriel Dumont to be the leader of the Saint-Laurent Council. Born in Saint-Boniface, Dumont spoke many languages and was a skilled hunter and military strategist. Like Riel, he had the trust and respect of his people. The newly formed North West Mounted Police (NWMP), later known as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, quickly disbanded the Saint-Laurent Council. Dumont and his fellow Métis continued to petition the Canadian government for assistance and assurance that their lands would be protected from new settlers. But just like the Métis in Manitoba, their concerns and rights were ignored.

Frustrated with the Canadian government’s lack of support, Dumont and a small group of people sought out

Riel in the U.S. He agreed to join their cause and came to Batoche with them. The Métis set up a new provisional government. Riel was once again given the position of president and Dumont was the Adjutant-General. On March 26, 1885, Dumont and his troops defeated the NWMP at Duck Lake. On April 2, the son and supporters of Cree chief Big Bear, who were also upset with the Canadian government, killed nine settlers at Frog Lake. The Canadians back east were horrified. Fearing more Aboriginals would unite and follow, the government decided to take action. And there was no shortage of men wanting to take up arms against the Aboriginal people. Only problem was that the Canadian Pacific Railway wasn’t finished and when the 10th Grenadiers arrived in Nipigon, they had to walk across the bay. It was evening and the pelting rain slowed them down as they trudged through the slushy snow. In Pierre Berton’s book, The Last Spike, it described the tremendous effort it took. “All attempts to preserve distance under such conditions had to be abandoned; the officers and men linked arms to prevent tumbling.” It took them six hours to get to Red Rock, where a passenger train was waiting for the soldiers.

Sir Frederick Dobson Middleton, Major-General was in charge of the Canadian troops that were sent to stop the 1885 North-West Resistance. A four-day battle took place in Batoche. On May 15, Riel surrendered. He was charged with high treason and hung. Dumont escaped to the U.S. Over the years, there has been a lot debate about the role Riel and Dumont played in Canada’s formation. Some people viewed them as traitors, but others saw their efforts to stand up for the Métis as nothing less than heroic.

There are people in the Nipigon area that claim when the Canadian soldiers were making their trek across Nipigon Bay, they were being observed by Riel and Dumont’s spies. There is no documentation to support this, but as pointed out by many historians, there hasn’t been any formal research into what the Métis and First Nations in other parts of Canada were doing during the Resistance. And with their history being primarily oral, it may never be known. —Kim Casey

The Rebellion in the North-West Territory of Canada: Colonial Troops marching over the ice of Nepigon Bay, Lake Superior, Ontario: 1885. | LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA

More than legends POW logging camps of Northwestern Ontario

HURKETT—For context, it must be noted that prisoner of war (POW) camps detained German army officers, German soldiers, and interned Japanese and Italian immigrants. From these camps, enlisted German soldiers, who were considered to be a low risk for escape, were offered a choice to work in logging camps.

During World War II, there was a fear that Germany could be successful in its campaign against Britain and thereby release the German prisoners who might have useful intelligence to report. Therefore, as a dominion of Britain, Canada was chosen as a holding place for the prisoners. POW camps were set up in B.C., Alberta and Ontario on the North Shore of Lake Superior.

Because many Canadian men went off to war, a labour shortage was created in industries such as farming and logging. As a result, in 1943, Canada’s Labour Minister, Humphrey Mitchell, authorized employment for the low risk German soldiers. Men were shipped to Northwestern Ontario by rail from POW camps, mostly from Lethbridge and Medicine Hat, Alberta. Hundreds of men were brought to remote logging operations throughout the region. The prisoners were paid a small amount for their labour and they were expected to produce a minimum of three-quarters to one cord (4’x4’x8’) of wood per day.

While doing research for a book project, I discovered many stories on POW logging camps in the area and one very interesting artifact.

In contrast to the highly secured, fenced POW camps, family stories and historical references described the logging camps as having little to no security. After their quota of work was done, the prisoners

were free to do as they wish. One story of a camp near Upsala tells of the prisoners who would walk into town to watch a movie and then go back to the camp. Another anecdote describes a group of prisoners who built a cabin where they often stayed for the weekend. Fishing was a favourite pastime for many of the men, and some even took to making canoes from dug-out logs.

During the interview process for the book, I was shown where there was a dug-out canoe, made by German POWs, hidden under the water at a lake near an old logging camp site close to Hurkett, Ontario. So my partner in the book project, Kim Manduca, and I set out to find the canoe. A short forest trail led to the

Tofte

edge of a muskeg swamp before reaching the water’s edge. With rubber boots and walking sticks, we soldiered on into the bog, poking at the bottom in hopes of finding the canoe. It was unmistakable when the stick hit the solid mass about two feet under the murky water. I could feel the shape of the canoe, but the hollow was mostly filled with muskeg; so I

[LEFT] “Group of inmates seated in front of a wood pile at a POW camp by Lake Superior in Nipigon, Ontario. Inmates at this camp were put to work in the lumber industry; an axe can be seen in the center of the image (ca. 1945).” | ESPLANADE ARCHIVES/ KARL HEINZ BERTRAM COLLECTION

scooped out the debris and could then confirm the mass as a hollowed out log. We levered the canoe with a stick while lifting it with a strap until the waterlogged artifact broke the surface. We were able to pull most of the canoe out of the water, which was enough to get beautiful photographs. Afterwards, we let the canoe sink back into the swamp to stay preserved in its watery grave.—Kathy Toivonen

TUESDAY, JULY 4 2017

4th of July!

TOFTE TOWN HALL - 11 am - 5 pm

Live Music - Fabulous Food - Beer Garden Bingo - Art & Craft Show - Minnow Races

11:00 am Craft Fair opens

1:30 pm Line up for the parade at the west end of Tofte Park Road

2:00 pm Parade

3:00 pm Citizen of the Year Award Presentation

5:00 pm - 7:00 pm Spaghetti Dinner at Zoar Lutheran

10:00 pm FIREWORKS Tofte Town Park Tofte 4th of July Celebration & fireworks

LIVE MUSIC!

TOFTE TOWN HALL

Come enjoy the music of this great local band! Cook County’s Most Wanted www.toftemn.com

The Annual Tofte Trek

BIRCH GROVE COMMUNITY CENTER

Join in the fun of this famous annual event! 8:00 am Registration • 9:00 am Races Begin Breakfast Pizzas available at Birch Grove 8-11 a.m. Visit www.sugarbushtrail.org for more info.

held rain or shine!

[ABOVE AND BELOW RIGHT] Remnants at a logging camp near Hurkett, Ontario.

| KATHY TOIVONEN

Author with the dug-out canoe.

| KATHY TOIVONEN

Northland institute breaks down barriers, connecting individuals with community

DULUTH—There’s a group in Duluth that’s empowering people with medical conditions, injuries and disabilities to lead active, healthy lifestyles and get back out in the community. It’s called Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute.

“We provide safe, fun learning opportunities for people and hopefully, in the long run, create lifelong recreators,” said Tara Gorman, a sports and recreation program coordinator at the Institute.

The organization is owned by Allina Health and headquartered in the Twin Cities, but there’s a small team in Duluth that serves people with short- and long-term medical barriers, challenges and disabilities.

“There’s amazing technology now that allows you to get back out there and do what you want to do…and people that are willing, and wanting, to help you get back out there,” said Gorman.

The Institute’s local staff works hard coordinating sports and recreation programs that help people become active and connected with the community.

The Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute has been in the Northland about 23 years and currently has about 350 program participants each year, which is a large number considering that each activity has about eight to 25 participants on average.

The programs include an adaptive kayak day-trip adventure, which is a full day of guided paddling and exploring along the shores of Lake Superior; the CKRI Northland Fishing Tournament, which is designed for adults with physical disabilities and/or visual impairments; and the Arrowhead Youth Games, which is an activity extravaganza where Courage Kenny participants join regional schools and the University of Minnesota-Duluth for a day of adapted sport and recreational activities including dance, parachute games, archery, wheelchair races and more.

There’s also Shoot for Fun, in which Courage Kenny participants join a group of about 450 avid hunting and sporting clay enthusiasts and spend the day at the Old Vermillion Trail Hunting Preserve—one of the many available activities and programs in the Northland.

“Basically, our vision is to create recreation opportunities where we are all living and working and playing and focusing on abilities, not disabilities,” said Gorman. She said a number of participants have recreated with Courage Kenny for years. “We have some kids that were introduced to us in first or second grade, and they are now in their thirties skiing with us, or on our power soccer team.”

Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute has rehabilitation facilities in the Twin Cities, but there are no facilities in Duluth, so the group primarily partners with commu -

nity organizations and hosts its activities off-site. For example, the Institute works with the Duluth Area Family YMCA for adaptive yoga and swimming classes, and it partners with local ski resorts like Spirit Mountain, Giants Ridge and Lutsen Mountains for alpine adaptive skiing; the list goes on.

If program participants can’t afford the programs outright, there’s a foundation within the Institute that can help.

Visit, allinahealth.org/courage-kenny-rehabilitationinstitute to learn more, or call (218) 726-4834.

—Kelsey Roseth

Kayaking is one of the activities offered through the Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute. | SUBMITTED

Campaign promotes benefits of eating fish

NORTH SHORE—Highlighting the health benefits of eating fish before and during pregnancy, and the importance of choosing the right fish to reduce exposure to mercury or other contaminants, is the goal of a new campaign launched by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and HealthPartners. Chooseyourfish.org is a new website that helps people navigate the many fish choices and choose the best ones for women who are or may become pregnant.

“We want women and children to eat fish. The benefits outweigh risks if they choose fish low in mercury and other contaminants,” said Pat McCann, research scientist for MDH.

The website and a brochure were launched to reach more women and families and make it easier for them to follow MDH’s fish consumption guidelines. The website provides additional information about how to select and cook fish.

Studies have shown that fish can provide important nutrients that help fetuses and babies develop, as long as they are low in mercury and other contaminants. The fatty acids, vitamins and minerals in fish are also important for adults.

Increased efforts to improve advice to women about eating fish started after a 2011 study by MDH showed that 10 percent of newborns tested in the North Shore Arrowhead region had mercury above levels of concern in their blood.

The study results spurred a collaboration among Sawtooth Mountain Clinic, Grand Portage Health Service, North Shore Health, Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Trust Lands and MDH to reduce mercury exposure in women in the area and pilot an in-clinic screening for high mercury exposure. Nearly 500 women from Cook County, Grand Portage and the surrounding area participated in the Fish are Important to Superior Health (FISH) Project.

Participants provided information about which fish they ate and how often they ate fish. They also had a blood sample analyzed for mercury and healthy fatty acids. Three percent of participants had blood mercury levels above the level of concern. They received information about healthy diets that included which type (species) of fish to eat and how often they can eat fish. More information on the project is at FISH Project News

A new brochure is available in several different versions that each target a different community and/or region of the state, as well as a statewide version. The new website (chooseyourfish.org) provides easy access to information on the web and on mobile devices. Both the brochures and website describe how often different species of fish can be eaten to provide safe, yet beneficial meals. The website also features simple recipes, videos and tips for selecting and cooking fish.

These efforts were supported in part through funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. A video—“New Information for Women to Choose the Best Fish”—highlights the key points of the new campaign.

MDH gives fish consumption recommendations for pregnant women, women who could become pregnant and children

under age 15, as well as for men, boys age 15 and over, and women not planning to become pregnant In general, men, boys 15 years and older, and women who are not and will not become pregnant, can eat fish about three times more often than the guidelines for pregnant women and younger children.

STOP AQUATIC HITCHHIKERS!

Prevent the transport of nuisance species. Clean all recreational equipment.

When you leave a body of water:

• Remove any visible mud, plants, fish or animals before transporting equipment.

• Eliminate water from equipment before transporting.

• Clean and dry anything that comes into contact with water (boats, trailers, equipment, clothing, dogs, etc).

• Never release plants, fish or animals into a body of water unless they came out of that body of water.

Loggin’ Food at its Finest

Women and children should eat fish low in mercury and other contaminants. | STOCK

The spirit of the time: Zeitgeist Arts

DULUTH—Zeitgeist, a German noun meaning “spirit of the time,” is a very fitting name for the Zeitgeist Center for Arts and Community in downtown Duluth. From Superior Street, Zeitgeist appears in lights as a trendy, artsy, theater/café combo. That is accurate; however, it is so much more than that.

The building itself is made up of the Zeitgeist Arts Café with two art galleries that are free for artists to display their work, the Teatro Zuccone Performance Theater, and the Zinema 2 movie theaters for independent films. Beyond that, though, the art center is made up of community-focused people whose values are tied to a commitment to the environment, arts and culture.

Communications and creative director of Zeitgeist, Sarah Lueck, says that one of the things they strive for is to pay local artists and performers a living wage with the hopes of retaining talent in Duluth. This isn’t an easy task, but there is a way they are able to support within their “Resident Artist Program.” This program uses grant funding to pay a select pool of performers a higher wage.

“I always make a case that this is no different than a job that someone punches in nine-to-five. This is also work but, not only that, it is arts and culture that are important to the human experience,” Lueck said.

Along with Zeitgeist’s efforts in trying to retain talent in Duluth, they also aim

to fuse that artistic talent into community programming. One example of that is their work with the Lincoln Park Farmer’s Market. Each year, Zeitgeist partners with the Duluth Community Garden Program to host a weekly farmer’s market. They bring musicians and artists to entertain and share their work with the community.

“We are committed to a bright, thriving future for this community for generations to come,” Lueck said.

Another way that Zeitgeist supports the community is by sourcing food from local farms for their Café. In fact, the goal is for all their food to be locally sourced except for things like scallops, that aren’t native to this area.

“Our executive chef, Matthew Lyons, works hard at building relationships with folks in the community and is very thorough in what that looks like and where the food comes from. He can tell the full story of what we are able to support locally.”

Dan Stocke, a local entrepreneur, is a huge supporter of Zeitgeist. Being from the area originally, he found his way back to Duluth after living in New York City for awhile. Coming back from NYC, he admitted that he originally did not expect that a small town theater production could be as amazing as it was.

“The first time my wife and I saw a Renegade show at the Teatro Zuccone, we thought they did amazing work. I was thinking, ‘wow that was one of the best things we’ve seen.’ There is real talent in this town,” he said.

Living nearby, Stocke uses the space at times for small business meetings. He describes it as a living room to the neighborhood and spectacular space for artists.

“I could spend the entire day here or a night on the town without leaving one building. I can have a business meeting in the morning, see a movie, check out the art galleries, eat dinner in the Arts Café, and end the night with a Renegade improv show,” he said.

For more information on what’s happening at Zeitgeist Arts, or to learn how you can get involved, visit: zeitgeistarts. com —Ali Juten

Superior Street view of Zeitgeist Arts. | SUBMITTED

Dan Stocke and others meet in the Zeitgeist Arts gallery. | SUBMITTED

Canada’s 150th

A Celebration of the Past and the Future

By Kathy Toivonen

The land called Canada has been home to many indigenous people and cultures for over 10,000 years. Even the Vikings settled on the east coast for a time. In modern history, the country has seen many changes. So an argument can be made that 1867 is an arbitrary date to mark the birth of Canada.

There have been many noteworthy dates that shaped the Canada of today. The first Europeans, from France, laid claim to a part of the land around the St. Lawrence River in the mid-1500s. Then, in the mid-1600s, the land was declared a province of France. At that time, more Europeans traveled further into the interior through the Great Lakes. France then handed over the province to Britain in 1763. It was on July 1, 1867, that Canada became an independent domain of Britain; and at that time, the country comprised of only four provinces: Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Later, in 1870, Manitoba and the Northwest Territories joined the Dominion of Canada, followed by British Columbia in 1871, Prince Edward Island in 1873, the Yukon Territory in 1898, and then Alberta and Saskatchewan in 1905. Next, Newfoundland and Labrador joined the Dominion in 1949. The country celebrated Dominion Day on July 1 until 1982, but the 1982 Canada Act brought complete independence from Great Britain, so the first Canada Day was celebrated on July 1, 1983. Finally, 16 years later, the new territory of Nunavut was established in 1999.

Many event celebrations will include fireworks. | KATHY TOIVONEN

Canada has seen many changes over the years and perhaps there is more to come. But whatever year is recognized as the birth of the country, July 1st is a nice summer day to eat cake and celebrate the past and the future with friends and family.

Fort William Historical Park

The city of Fort William grew from the fur trading post of the North West Company, which was established in 1801. By the time the North West Company merged with the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1821, the fur trade was beginning to decline. The Fort ceased operations in 1881, but the community that grew around the fort developed into the City of Fort William.

Today, Fort William Historical Park (FWHP) is a provincial park and is Northwestern Ontario’s premier attractions park, featuring a reconstruction of the fort and the culture of 1816. It is located on the banks of the Kaministiquia River about 14km (9 miles) west of its original location. FWHP is marking Canada’s sesquicentennial throughout the year with new festivals and events. The season kicks off with Anishnawbe Keeshigun, a celebration of indigenous peoples, on June 10-11. The two-day event will be a celebration of the four seasons and include traditional interactive games, crafts, foods, contests and prizes.

On Canada Day, July 1, the park will offer family-friendly activities from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. There will be log sawing contests, crafts and historical dramas; and the atmosphere will be party-themed with face painting, birthday cake and a daytime fireworks show.

More 150th celebration events include Karnival on the Kam from July 20-23; a carnival like no other ever seen in Northwestern Ontario, according to Emily Carr, communications officer for FWHP. Carr wasn’t able to release details at the time of publishing, but she gave an enticing teaser when she said, “If there is any one single event to leave your home for, you don’t want to miss this one.”

Other events planned for the year include the Battle of Fort William in August; and a three weekend event in November and December called Ignite the Fort, a laser light show extravaganza. Details for the season’s line-up are available at: fwhp.ca.

Prince Arthur’s Landing

The north side of the city will host Canada Day celebrations from its historic site at Prince Arthur’s Landing. Originally called “The Depot,” the site was established in 1805 with only a wharf for ships to dock. The site was the gateway into the interior of the land, and from there, Simon Dawson began construction on a road to Fort Garry in the west in 1869. The next year, Colonel Wolsey renamed the location Prince Arthur’s Landing for Queen Victoria’s third son. The community that grew from the site became the Town of Port Arthur in 1884. (Fort William and Port Arthur amalgamated to become the City of Thunder Bay in 1970.)

The City of Thunder Bay’s Canada Day celebrations began with Snow Day in February, which featured snow sculptures and various activities. On Canada Day, the park will be filled with booths, food, entertainment, cake and fireworks at dark.

The 150th event will include cultural collaborations with groups such as Le Club Canadien Français de Thunder Bay (CCF). The president of the club said they are happy to partner with the city to bring diversity and to celebrate the official languages through art and music. This year will feature the bilingual band, Ten Strings and a Goat Skin, from Prince Edward Island. The acoustic trio performs original compositions and traditional music with Acadian, Celtic, Francophone, Irish, Scottish and pop blends.

Le Club Canadien Français de Thunder Bay will again partner with the city on July 9, when the Choeur En Supplement’Air, a choir of 43 people from Quebec, will sing traditional songs in French at St. Paul’s United Church. For details and information on other events, go to: ccftb.ca

events throughout

Ten Strings and a Goat will perform at Prince Arthur’s Landing. | LE CLUB CANADIEN FRANCAIS DE THUNDER BAY

Fort William Historical Park will hold celebration

the summer. | KIM MANDUCA

Explore the Gunflint Trail

Loons, lodges, shimmering water, pristine Minnesota forest. That’s what you’ll find along the Gunflint Trail. Watch morning mist caress a glacier-carved lake. Fish by boat or canoe for walleye, smallmouth and lake trout. Take your first Boundary Waters canoe trip with the help of a friendly outfitter. The Gunflint Trail is a gateway to the BWCAW, which has been named one of the world’s “50 Places of a Lifetime” by National Geographic.

The Gunflint Trail has…

• 57 miles of paved scenic byway

• 23 unique lodges

• 227 miles of hiking trails

• 62 miles of biking trails

• 8 campgrounds

• 237,737 acres of BWCAW

• 35 entrance points to the BWCAW

• 547 wilderness campsites (not part of a campground and located within the BWCAW)

Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center Activities

(Hours 11am-4pm; check website for presentation times)

DAILY - Ham Lake Fire exhibit. This exhibit commemorates the 10th anniversary of the Ham Lake Fire by telling the stories of those who were involved.

SATURDAYS, JUNE 3–AUGUST 26 - Interpretive Hike. Take a hike with the Nature Center Program Director to explore and learn about the natural history of the Gunflint Trail area.

TUESDAYS, JUNE 27-AUG 22 - Free Kids Day. Chik-Wauk staff will offer a variety of hands-on activities, as well as stories, hikes, journal making and craft projects.

TUESDAYS, JUNE 20–AUG 22 - US Forest Service naturalists present on a different Northwoods-themed topic.

JUNE 4 - Treasures from the Dungeon by Steve Veit. Take a virtual tour of Grand Portage National Monument’s Museum Collections.

JUNE 25 - Loons by Phyllis Sherman.

JULY 2 - Open House Presentation, Ham Lake Fire

JULY 16 - Wolves at Our Door. This program will be based on photos and video clips from the International Wolf Center.

JULY 23 - Gunflint & Lake Superior Railroad by Dave Battistel. The story of a Wisconsin logging company whose headquarters was located in Port Arthur, Ontario.

AUGUST 27 - Geology of our area by Don Wendel. A presentation on the Saganaga Batholith for which Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center now stand.

Other Gunflint Trail Special Activities and Events

(check website for times and details)

JUNE 17-18 - BWCA Expo – Seagull Lake public landing. Speakers, activities, hands-on demos, and more!

JUNE 19-JULY 21 - Wet your Paddle program, various locations. Want to try out the latest craft models on a Gunflint Trail BWCAW lake? Never ventured out in a canoe? Here’s your chance to try it for FREE with experienced, friendly outfitters with the Wet Your Paddle program. Paddling instructions and lake travel knowledge provided by resident Gunflint Trail Canoe Outfitters. One hour of FREE hand-ons, paddles in the water!”

JULY 19 - Gunflint Trail Canoe Races - Gunflint Lodge

The Fireweed Bike Cooperative in downtown Grand Marais is the newest project of the town’s mayor, Jay Arrowsmith-DeCoux. After talking about the acquisition for most of last summer, he finalized the purchase at the end of March of this year. He wasted no time making the shop his own and welcoming people into the space. A few weeks after announcing the official purchase on Facebook, Arrowsmith-DeCoux held a large sale to bring in as many people as he could from the town.

“It was so cool to see so many people from the community in a bike shop. They were all really interested in buying bikes and getting tooled up for the summer. That was easily the coolest thing thus far,” said Arrowsmith-DeCoux. “That and getting my new sign dropped off.”

Part of rebranding the store was choosing a new name. He chose the word ‘fireweed’ because of the fond memories he has of the rides and runs he went on during his time living and working up the Gunflint Trail.

“I wanted it to be something that had a local flare to it. I wanted it to be something that you would find when you’re out riding,” he explained. “One of the things I remember when I lived at Wilderness Canoe Base was seeing a lot of fireweed in the ditches. That came to me as a catchy name and I like fireweed; I think it’s really pretty.”

Arrowsmith-DeCoux expects to begin running shuttles to the Pincushion Mountain Trails this summer. Becoming a member of the bicycle cooperative will allow customers to utilize the community stand to work on their respective bikes and the washing station after the particularly muddy feats.

Another new storefront with an interesting twist is SpokeNGear and the Cedar Coffee Company in Two Harbors. The store, which just celebrated one year of opening its doors, is a combination bike, coffee and bag shop. Dan Cruikshank, SpokeNGear’s proprietor, has a long history with cycling and producing outdoor gear.

“When I turned 50 I rode at least 50 miles a week, for 50 weeks. That experience solidified my passion for biking,” he explained. “When [my business partners and I] sold Granite Gear, I naturally wanted to get into a business in the cycling industry. My original idea was to make bicycle bags for adventure biking, touring and commuting.”

What followed was the development of a brand that reflected his interest in both nature and science. The combination of the words ‘cedar’ and ‘aerodynamic’ created the name Cedaero for his bag manufacturing company.

“The idea for the bike shop was to support the bag manufacturing and the coffee shop was to support the bike shop. I figured that the three businesses together would complement and support each other, and create a community around bikes, coffee, food and the great outdoors.” he said.

Selling the gear is only part of the mission of the crew at SpokeNGear. Providing opportunities for customers to spend time in the saddle is also a top priority.

“We love to ride the gravel roads in Lake County. We host a Sunday gravel ride most weekends,” said Cruik-

Great biking trails can be found throughout the Northern Wilds. | SUBMITTED

shank. “We meet at SpokeNGear around 1:45 p.m. or earlier if you want to fuel up in the café. We depart shortly after 2:00 p.m. and ride between 20-40 miles, usually a different route every week.”

While there are other bike and coffee shops around the country, he thinks they have the first bike/coffee/bag shop. Cruikshank also recommends the single-track trails in the COGGS system in Duluth and the Gitchi Gammi Trail between Gooseberry Falls and Split Rock.

The Blacksheep Mountain Bike Club in Thunder Bay offers a range of events for anyone interested in developing their skills in the sport. With just about 200 members, the club’s biggest event is the Shuniah 40 Miner mountain bike race. After the success of the inaugural event in 2016, the race is back for round two in September. There are three main distances: the short course at 12km, the medium course at 24km, and the long course at 48km. The 6km Mini-Miner is a new addition for the younger riders.

“Blacksheep mountain biking may have been founded on a desire to provide high caliber racing at a local level, but racing isn’t the only thing offered,” explained club vice president Will Takacs. “We host group rides, BBQs, skills clinics, bike orienteering and the crowd favorite, race for the cheese—a cheese fun relay.”

After being involved with the club for about 10 years, Takacs knows his stuff when it comes to getting technical in Thunder Bay. The proximity of the trails to downtown is one of the many benefits of mountain biking in the area.

“The best part of riding in Thunder Bay is the diverse, technical and challenging trails,” he said. “We have a great community of mountain bikers who love to ride and some excellent volunteer trail builders who keep our trails in tip-top condition.”

A 501-c3 nonprofit chapter of the International Mountain Biking Association, the Cyclists of Gitchee Gumee Shores (COGGS) aims to improve cycling for the Twin Ports. One of the recent undertakings is the Duluth Tra -

Some treats amongst the cedars at Cedar Coffee Co., attached to SpokeNGear. | SPOKENGEAR

verse, a “multi-use, single-track trail that is purpose built for mountain biking and completely spans the entire length of the City of Duluth.” The entire traverse currently runs approximately 42 miles and includes 70 percent single-track. The portions that aren’t single-track are gravel roads, double-track or paths.

The Lutsen 99er mountain bike race has seen immense growth since the first bikers braved the course in 2011. After adding a new distance to the offerings last year, there is now a 99-mile length, the new 69-mile distance, as well as the 39-mile and 19-mile courses. This year, the horns will sound on the morning of Saturday, June 24 with awards, music and a celebration to follow.

The Fireweed Bike Coop, owned by Jay Arrowsmith-DeCoux, recently opened in downtown Grand Marais. | SUBMITTED

By Breana Roy

Oh Canada

With this issue dedicated to Canada’s sesquicentennial, it made sense to showcase Canadian artists and the upcoming events and exhibitions being held throughout Thunder Bay.

The Thunder Bay Art Gallery will feature 150 artists in the upcoming Canada 150 exhibition, The Perspective from Here. The annual Waterfront Art Exhibition and Sale will be held June 2-25 at the Baggage Building Arts Centre, and the current exhibitions at Definitely Superior Art Gallery be on display until June 17. Don’t miss out!

“Chop Canadian,” by artist Chris Stones, will be featured at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery exhibition, ThePerspectiveFromHere, held from June 22-Sept. 24. | CHRIS STONES

The Thunder Bay Quilters Guild recently held their annual Quilt Show. This year, the quilt show challenge focused on Canada’s anniversary. Featured here is the winning challenge quilt, created by Jennette Bradshaw. Learn more about the guild at: thunderbayquilters.org.

| JENNETTE BRADSHAW

[LEFT] “The Grand Entrance,” by Daphne Odjig, will also be featured at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery’s Canada 150 summer exhibition

| DAPHNE ODJIG

Raeghan Howard Judge creates art using Lake Superior beach stones and driftwood, such as this piece, titled “Family Tree.” You can find her business, The Family Stone, on Etsy and Facebook. | RAEGHAN HOWARD JUDGE

“Lake Superior Shoreline, Marathon Ontario” by artist Brian Holden. | BRIAN HOLDEN

Thunder Bay’s Reggae Rockers

By Casey Fitchett

Rock Steady’s formation story is one of accidental circumstance. About nine years ago, drummer Dave Campbell gathered a group of musicians to play with Canadian reggae singer Errol Blackwood. Though Blackwood cancelled, the band decided that the show must go on. They rotated singers throughout the night and realized that they had something worth pursuing.

Armed with the name Rock Steady, Clay Breiland, Rory Bohler and Campbell soon invited Gord Ellis and Richard Tribe to add to their sound. The success of their first gig at the Apollo was just the beginning. They rocked the 2009 Thunder Bay Folklore Festival and got audiences up on their feet at the Fort William Gardens with some reggae tunes.

The group’s chemistry is partially due to the long history some of the musicians have with one another. Ellis and Campbell have played music together for about 30 years, and Raynard, Breiland and Tribe have been jamming together since the late 90s. The combination of the two teams, and the addition of Tyler Raynard on bass in 2015, rounded out the cohesive group.

Though originally purely reggae, Rock Steady’s sound has evolved to include blues, roots and country soul. Sandwiched between covers of Sublime, Van Morrison and Chris Stapleton are original songs written by Breiland. Staying true to their reggae roots, the group continues to have Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff covers in their repertoire.

“We have a pretty hard edge but we can also play very pretty,” said Ellis. “Reggae is the roots of the band.”

Because reggae is a bit of an unexpected genre in Thunder Bay, the band’s earliest shows drew a varied crowd.

“Our earliest gigs were especially mem -

orable because no local band had played only reggae in Thunder Bay for years, if ever,” explained Ellis. “We had a real mix of hippies, soccer moms and college kids. It was wild.”

Though the fans were coming from all walks of life, many connected with Rock Steady’s sound and keep coming back for more.

“We have kept a strong core audience and it’s great to see people coming to our gigs year after year,” said Ellis.

Drop the band in just about any setting and they will thrive. Like many bands will tell you, the best gigs are the ones where the listeners are actively engaged and interacting with the music.

“We have done both outdoor shows and many bar gigs,” said Ellis. “They are both pretty fun. If people are dancing, it’s a good gig.”

Rock Steady typically plays shows once or twice a month in the Thunder Bay area. The next chance to see Rock Steady is at the Thunder Bay Blues Fest on Friday, July 7. They are the opening act and will perform on stage at 4 p.m.

BREANA’S PICK OF THE MONTH

Artist Mary Johnston, alongside many other talented artists, will be showcasing their masterpieces at the annual Park Point Art Fair in Duluth, held June 24-25. The show will feature artists throughout the Midwest, as well as local favorites. Johnston is a contemporary landscape artist who currently resides in Indiana, but grew up in Duluth. Her oil piece is titled “Clouds Over Water.” To learn more about Johnston, visit maryjohnstonart.com.

Permanent Exhibit

On the Line: A Military History of Cook County Cook County Historical Society, Grand Marais, cookcountyhistory.org

April 20-June 18

Sandra Brick & Fred Amram: Lest We Forget Duluth Art Institute, duluthartinstitute.org

Joe Klander: Strongman Duluth Art Institute, duluthartinstitute.org

May 19-June 17

Retrograduate 2017 Exhibition

Definitely Superior Art Gallery, Thunder Bay, definitelysuperior.com

Night Brats: Die Active Art Collection

Definitely Superior Art Gallery, Thunder Bay, definitelysuperior.com

May 19-June 18

Frozen Photographers Johnson Heritage Post, Grand Marais, johnsonheritagepost.org

May 23-March 11, 2018

1000 Words Tweed Museum of Art, Duluth, d.umn.edu/tma

May 26-Oct. 21

Boom Town to Ghost Town: Taconite Harbor Cross River Heritage Center, Schroeder, crossriverheritage.org

May 26-June 25

Spring Art Underground Betsy Bowen Gallery, Grand Marais, woodcut.com

May 30-Sept. 24

Sinew: Female Native Artists of the Twin Cities (reception June 1 at 6 p.m.) Tweed Museum of Art, Duluth, d.umn.edu/tma

June 2-June 25

Waterfront Artist Exhibition Baggage Building Arts Center, Thunder Bay (807) 684-2063

June 5-30

On the Water Exhibition (reception June 5 at 7 p.m.) Art & Soul Gallery, Ely (218) 365-7300

June 6-Aug. 20

Mounties Tweed Museum of Art, Duluth, d.umn.edu/tma

June 8-18

Secondary School Art Exhibition (reception June 8 at 6:30 p.m.) Thunder Bay Art Gallery, theag.ca

June 8-30

NWFA Spring Art Expo NWFA Gallery & Various Locations, Cook, MN, nwfamn.org

June 14, Wednesday

Ely Greenstone Public Art Camp for Kids Exhibition Noon, Miners Dry House, Ely, elygreenstone.org

June 22-Sept. 24

The Perspective From Here: 150 Artists from the North Thunder Bay Art Gallery, theag.ca

June 23-July 16

Minneapolis College of Art & Design Exhibit Johnson Heritage Post, Grand Marais, johnsonheritagepost.org

Rock Steady will perform at the upcoming Thunder Bay Blues Fest on Friday, July 7. | CLAY BREILAND

ARTS FESTIVAL Grand Marais

& Conference Center

• Kitchen-access

• Large lower-level retreat space

• WiFi

• Campfire area

• Great location for retreats or family reunions/events

• Shop at Little Gold Mine Antiques (open seasonally)

Less than a block from Soudan Underground Mine State Park, adjacent to Mesabi Bike/Hiking Trail, blocks away from public access/beach on Lake Vermillion.

NORTHERN LANDSCAPES FESTIVAL

May 31-June 4 Discover the birds, wildflowers, insects and geology of the Northern landscape at this annual North House Folk School festival in Grand Marais. Festival highlights include courses, demos, and free presentations and programs, such as Bird Banding at Sweetheart’s Bluff. Course offerings include birding basics, northern landscapes photography, field botany, forest ecology, and spring phenology in the field. Course registration required. northhouse.org

KITE FESTIVAL

June 4, Sunday The annual Thunder Bay Kite Festival, which first began in 1981, will be held on Sunday, June 4 at Chippewa Park. People of all ages will enjoy kite workshops, demonstrations and activities. Festival-goers will also experience the flying skills of kite experts from renowned kite clubs. Don’t miss this award-winning day of fun, color and amazement, held from noon to 4 p.m. For more info, call 1-888-336-7386.

MOUNTIES

June 6, Tuesday The Tweed Museum of Art at the University of Minnesota-Duluth will feature a new exhibit in their Studio Gallery, titled Mounties. The exhibition consists of paintings by Arnold Friberg, Robert Addison, Walter S. Oschman, and other painters of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police from the Potlatch Collection. These were created to advertise the company’s paper to the printing trade, demonstrating how well the color red could be reproduced. Contemporaries of their advertising-lore cousins, such as the Jolly Green Giant, Betty Crocker, Paul Bunyan, F13 the Land O’ Lakes Indian maiden, and the Mounties were reproduced for nearly 75 years on Northwest Paper/Potlatch calendars before going to the Tweed Museum. The Mounties exhibition will open Tuesday, June 6 and remain on display through August 20. d.umn.edu/tma

FINDINGS

JEWELRY SYMPOSIUM

June 8-11

The Findings Jewelry Symposium at the Grand Marais Art Colony is a biannual event hosted in partnership with the Minnesota Jewelry Arts Guild. The symposium will include numerous classes, artist talks, panel discussions and demos, featuring various artists. Classes include Rebel Neckpieces with Casey Sheppard, Pins with Pat Robinson Schmidt, Alternative Casting with Becky McDonah, and Integrating Stone and Metal with Michael Boyd. Class registration required. There will also be a Group Trunk Show on Saturday, June 10 from 5:30-7 p.m.—come see the exhibited work of symposium artists and purchase something to wear home. grandmaraisartcolony.org

AXTELL

June 8-16

Consisting of Cook County graduate Katrina Axtell and Argentine soloist Julian Hernandez, the Argentina-based duo Axtell will return to the North Shore in June as part of a five-month, 16-state tour of the U.S. Axtell will perform at the Dubh Linn Brew Pub in Duluth on June 8, from 10 p.m. to midnight. The tour offi -

The Northern Landscapes Festival will include classes on photography. | SUBMITTED

The Y has something for everyone! Visitors and all members of the community can play for just one day or longer with these programs. Day pass rates: Adult $10, Youth $5, Family $20 plus tax.

SUMMER PROGRAMS

Summer Day Camp for ages 3-12

Parent's Night Out events

Fitness Classes: Yoga, Zumba, Pilates, Kick Boxing, etc

Drop-in care for on-site workouts

Two-week accelerated swim class

Six Week Programs: Cheer Camp, Archery, Gymnastics, Swimming, Qigong, Kettlebells, and more!

Start anytime through July 15th.

COOK COUNTY COMMUNITY YMCA

WOODEN BOAT SHOW & SUMMER SOLSTICE FESTIVAL

June 16-18 The North House Folk School in Grand Marais is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, so the annual festival will be bigger and better than ever. The event includes rows of hand-made and unique watercraft, a boat parade, craft demonstrations, an evening square dance, a boat and tool auction, workshops and courses, guest speakers, and the Summer Solstice Pageant. The pageant is a performance, which includes giant life-size puppets, artists on stilts and joyful music—all with Lake Superior in the background. northhouse.org

GRANDMA’S MARATHON WEEKEND

June 17, Saturday Tie up your shoelaces for the 41st annual Grandma’s Marathon race, held on Saturday, June 17. Totaling 26.2 miles, the race will start at 7:45 a.m. in Two Harbors and end in Canal Park, Duluth. The Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon (13.1 miles) will also take place on Saturday, and the William A. Irvin 5k and youth

- Unique access by train and floatplane.

- Main base B&B plus 6 remote fishing outposts.

Whipper Snapper races will take place on Friday. Other events include the traditional Michelina’s All-You-Can-Eat Spaghetti Dinner from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. on Friday, and the Essentia Health Fitness Expo at the DECC, June 15-16. View over 100 booths showcasing the latest products and services in the athletic industry. The expo will run from 4-8 p.m. on Thursday, and 10 a.m.-8 p.m. on Friday. Admission is free; open to everyone. Grandma’s Marathon weekend will also include live music Friday and Saturday night with the Rock the Big Top celebration in Canal Park, featuring Everclear, the Shalo Lee Band, Rhino and Snake Oil. Gates open at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online. grandmasmarathon.com/marathon-weekend

FERN FINDING

June 18, Sunday Learn how to differentiate ferns on the North Shore with a short, half-hour hike into the Lutsen Scientific and Natural Area. Along the way, you will also see a variety of early summer wildflowers and hear the unique mix of birds that inhabit this beautiful maple forest. Meet at the Mountaintop Inn parking lot

- Full or partial outfitting, with or without guides.

- Permits, maps, route planning and shuttles.

- Quote this Code # NW0516 for a free $100 gift certificate.

- Call Bruce Hyer (park co-creator) anytime for free advice. -

Canoeing & Fishing Outfitters

The Wooden Boat Show in Grand Marais will be held June 16-18. | NHFS

Plan to wear hiking boots or good walking shoes, and bring water, snacks and a pair of binoculars if you have them. You should also be prepared for tick season with long pants and long socks. Cost to attend is free. sugarloafnorthshore.org

LAW ENFORCEMENT TORCH RUN

June 19-23 On June 19-21, police officers and others in emergency services in Thundery Bay, Cook and Lake counties will carry the Special Olympics torch along

the North Shore. The torch will be carried down Highway 61 from Thunder Bay on the morning of June 19, with a border ceremony planned at 12:30 p.m. At 1:45 p.m., there will be a photo taken at the top of Mt. Josephine. Cook County Sheriff Pat Eliasen will run the torch into Grand Marais at 3 p.m. with a community run through downtown at 3:30 p.m. The torch will come to Lutsen at 5:30 p.m. and Tofte at 6:30 p.m.

On June 20, the torch will arrive at Tettegouche State Park at noon and at Rukavi -

SAWMILL TOURS

na Arena in Silver Bay at 1 p.m., where there will be a community run. It will continue down the Shore and arrive at Superior Shores Resort at 6:15 p.m. A community celebration and run will begin at the Two Harbors Arena at 9 a.m. on June 21. From there, the torch will continue down Scenic Highway 61 to Duluth, where a community celebration and run will begin at the Civic Center at noon. It will continue southward to the State Capitol, arriving at 3:15 p.m. June 23.

SAINTS’ SOIRÉE

June 23, Friday Gather friends and family for a night of good food, music and conversation, plus the annual Silent Auction benefitting the St. Scholastica Alumni Association Scholarship Fund. The event goes from 6-9 p.m. and takes place at the St. Scholastica Science Center’s Benedictine Commons. There will be music by Maxi Childs Trio and food and drinks; heavy hors d’oeuvres, dessert, wine, beer and soft drinks—all included in the $20 ticket price. For more information, contact Laura Johnson at (218) 723-6034.

Grandma’s Marathon youth races will be held on Friday, June 16. | SUBMITTED

The Schryer Triplets will perform at the Canadian Celtic Celebration. | SUBMITTED

Coworking Space

LUTSEN BLOCK PARTY

June 23, Friday Enjoy an evening of food, live music, drinks and prizes at the Lutsen Block Party, hosted by County Plumbing & Heating, Lutsen Liquor, MBA Insurance Services and Timber Wolff Realty. The party will be held from 4-7 p.m. downtown Lutsen. Prizes include a 6-pack of beer and a bottle of wine, provided by Lutsen Liquor; a $25 gift certificate, provided by H. Lill’s Design; and a custom-made fly rod by Butch Nolt.

CANADIAN CELTIC CELEBRATION

June 24, Saturday This year marks the 16th year for the Canadian Celtic Celebration—it will also be its last. Held at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium, the feature concert brings together unique combinations from top-notch artists, performing alongside Pierre Schryer in traditional Celtic styles, including Scottish, Irish, French Canadian and Cape Breton. For the first time in over 30 years, the

Schryer Triplets will appear together on stage in Thunder Bay. Other performers include Tom Power, Eimear Arkins, Joey Abarta and more. Ticket information can be found online. Show starts at 7:30 p.m. canadiancelticcelebration.com

LUTSEN 99ER

June 24, Saturday This intense 99-mile bike race starts and ends at Lutsen Mountains and weaves through the rugged terrain of the Sawtooth Mountains and boreal forest on Lake Superior. Other categories include a 69-mile, 39-mile and 19mile race, as well as multiple youth races. Spectators and volunteers are welcomed and encouraged. Post-race events include an awards ceremony at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, followed by live music at Papa Charlie’s. Race registration required. lutsen99er.com

Thunder Bay Mining Day will be June 3 in Marina Park. | SUBMITTED

May 20-June 11

Now What Theatre Residency Lyric Center for the Arts, Virginia, MN, lyriccenteronline.org

Altameja Fishing & Golf Tournament

8 a.m. Shagawa Lake, Ely, 1-800-657-3608

Electronics Recycling Collection

Frog & Salamander Hike 6 p.m. Hartley Nature Center, Duluth, hartleynature.org

9 a.m. Cook County Recycling Center, Grand Marais (218) 387-3630

May 26-June 25

Spring Art Underground Betsy Bowen Gallery, Grand Marais, woodcut.com

May 31-June 4

Northern Landscapes Festival North House Folk School, Grand Marais, northhouse.org

Duluth Superior Film Festival Duluth, ds-ff.com

June 1, Thursday

Blood Drive 10 a.m. Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Two Harbors, mbc.org

Our Threatened Minnesota Public School Lands Presentation 7 p.m. Gannucci’s Restaurant, Duluth, cwcs.org

Jon Miller 7:30 p.m. Gun Flint Tavern, Grand Marais, gunflinttavern.com

June 1-4

Battle by the Bay Boys Hockey Tournament Amsoil Arena, Duluth, northernstorm.net

Time Stands Still 7:30 p.m. (2 p.m. Sun.) Duluth Playhouse, duluthplayhouse.org

June 2, Friday

Jeremy Messersmith Micro Tour 6 p.m. Papa Charlie’s, Lutsen, lutsen.com

June 2-3

George Jeffrey Children’s Centre Soapbox Races Waverley Hill & Park, Thunder Bay, georgejeffreyfoundation.com

Thirsty River 9 p.m. Gun Flint Tavern, Grand Marais, gunflinttavern.com

June 3, Saturday

Animal Allies Humane Society: Walk for Animals 9 a.m. Bayfront Festival Park, Duluth, thewalkforanimals.net

Jill Aubin: Hiking Without a Canoe 2:30 p.m. Grand Marais Public Library, grandmaraislibrary.org

NPC Iron Viking Bodybuilding Championships Duluth DECC, ironvikingofthenorth.com

Metre Eaters June Classic 5k & 10k Boulevard Lake, Thunder Bay, metreeaters.ca

Mining Day 10 a.m. Marina Park, Thunder Bay, thunderbayminingday.ca

National Trails Day Hikes 10 a.m.

Castle Danger Trailhead Parking Lot, Two Harbors, shta.org

Open House Noon, Thunder Bay Fish & Game Shooting Ranges, thunderbayfishandgame.com

Ely Garden Club Pie & Plant Social

1 p.m. Grace Lutheran Church, Ely, ely.org

Gala for the Grove 5:30 p.m. Lakeside Ballroom at Surfside, Tofte, birchgroveschool.com

June 4, Sunday

Kite Festival Noon, Chippewa Park, Thunder Bay (807) 625-2487

Treasures from the Dungeon with Steve Veit 2 p.m. Chik-Wauk Museum & Nature Center, Gunflint Trail, chikwauk.com

June 5, Monday

Northwoods Gardening with Andy Hill

4 p.m. Ely, ely.org

Board Games & Beer

5 p.m. Voyageur Brewing, Grand Marais, voyageurbrewing.com

Rhythm & Brews 7 p.m.

Red Lion Smokehouse, Thunder Bay, redlionsmokehouse.ca

June 6, Tuesday

Grief Group: Learning Life After Loss 3:30 p.m. First Congregational Church, Grand Marais (218) 387-3788

Garden Nights 6 p.m. Hartley Nature Center, Duluth, hartleynature.org

June 7, Wednesday

Chester Bowl Run 6 p.m. Chester Bowl Soccer Field, Duluth, nmtc.run

Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament

8 p.m. Red Lion Smokehouse, Thunder Bay, redlionsmokehouse.ca

June 8, Thursday

NWFA Fundraiser with Monroe Crossing 5 p.m. St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Cook, MN, nwfamn.org

Garden Club Meeting & Tour

6 p.m. Ely Flower & Seed, ely.org

Ian Alexy 7 p.m. Gun Flint Tavern, Grand Marais, gunflinttavern.com

June 8-10

MN Quilt Show & Conference 9 a.m. Duluth DECC, mnquilt.org

June 8-11

Findings Jewelry Symposium Grand Marais Art Colony, grandmaraisartcolony.org

Time Stands Still 7:30 p.m. (2 p.m. Sun.) Duluth Playhouse, duluthplayhouse.org

June 8-30

NWFA Spring Art Expo

NWFA Gallery & Various Locations, Cook, MN, nwfamn.org

June 9, Friday

Margo McCreary’s Puppet Wagon 9:30 a.m. Ely Public Library, elylibrary.org

Free NSFC Landowner Workshop

1 p.m. Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center, Finland, northshoreforest.org

Live Music: Beth & Les 7 p.m. Larsmont Cottages, Two Harbors, larsmontcottages.com

June 9-10

Floydian Slip 8 p.m. Gun Flint Tavern, Grand Marais, gunflinttavern.com

June 9-11

Taste of Ely VFW Classic Veterans Memorial Field, Ely, ely.org

June 10, Saturday

Grain Days Baggage Building Arts Center, Thunder Bay

Take a Kid Fishing 9 a.m. Mink Lake Beach, Gunflint Trail, gunflint@fs.fed.us

Tennis Block Party: All Ages

10 a.m. Tennis Courts, Grand Marais, cookcountytennis.wordpress.com

Open House 10 a.m. Split Rock Lighthouse, Two Harbors, mnhs.org/splitrock

Nice Girls of the North Marketplace

10 a.m. Lakeside Lester Park Community Center, Duluth, nicegirlsofthenorth.com

Walleye Whamma 11 a.m. Birch Lake, Babbitt, ely.org

The Fall of the House of Usher with Pyrrha 7:30 p.m. Arrowhead Center for the Arts, Grand Marais, northshoremusicassociation.com

June 10-11

Great American Canoe Race & Festival Ely, greatamericancanoefest.com

Anishnawbe Keeshigun 10 a.m. Fort William Historical Park, Thunder Bay, fwhp.ca/anishnawbe-keeshigun

June 10-17

Thunder Pride Week Thunder Bay, thunderpride.ca

June 11, Sunday

Shrimp Boil GTHS Fundraiser

4 p.m. Seagull Lake Community Center, Gunflint Trail, chikwauk.com

Jim & Michele Miller

7:30 p.m. Gun Flint Tavern, Grand Marais, gunflinttavern.com

Bonnie Raitt 8 p.m. Thunder Bay Community Auditorium, tbca.com

June 12, Monday

Trivia Night 5 p.m. Voyageur Brewing, Grand Marais, voyageurbrewing.com

June 12-14

Ely Greenstone Children’s Art Camp 9 a.m. Ely Arts & Heritage Center, elygreenstone.org

Free Neechee Studio Workshops 5:30 p.m. Definitely Superior, Thunder Bay, definitelysuperior.com

June 13, Tuesday

Ruby’s Pantry 5 p.m. Cook County High School, Grand Marais, facebook.com/rubyspantrycc

June 14, Wednesday

Ely-Winton Historical Society Annual Dinner 5:30 p.m. Vermilion Community College, Ely (218) 365-3226

North Shore Poets & Writers

6 p.m. Two Harbors Public Library, twoharborspubliclibrary.com

Arts & Craft Beer Night 8 p.m. Red Lion Smokehouse, Thunder Bay, redlionsmokehouse.ca

June 14-17

Peter Mitchell Days Babbitt, ely.org

June 15, Thursday

“What’s on Your Bucket List” Dinner to Donate 5 p.m. Grand Ely Lodge, Ely, northwoodspartners.org

Northern Wilds Calendar of Events

Third Thursday Food & Wine Dinner 6:30 p.m. Cove Point Lodge, Beaver Bay, covepointlodge.com

Axtell 7 p.m. Cascade Lodge & Pub, Lutsen, axtellduo.com

June 15-16

Essentia Health Fitness Expo Duluth DECC, grandmasmarathon.com/ marathon-weekend

June 15-18

Friends of the Library Book Sale Ely City Hall, ely.org

June 16, Friday

Treasure Hunt 9:30 a.m. Ely Public Library, elylibrary.org

Michelina’s All-You-Can-Eat Spaghetti Dinner 11 a.m. Duluth DECC, grandmasmarathon.com/ marathon-weekend

Whipper Snapper Races for Kids: Free 2 p.m. Bayfront Festival Park, Duluth, grandmasmarathon.com

William A. Irvin 5k 6 p.m. Duluth, grandmasmarathon.com

The Starfolk Concert 7 p.m. Tofte Lake Center, Ely, toftelake.com

Axtell 7:30 p.m.

Arrowhead Center for the Arts, Grand Marais, axtellduo.com

Rich Mattson & the Northstars

9 p.m. Gun Flint Tavern, Grand Marais, gunflinttavern.com

June 16-17

Rock the Big Top Canal Park, Duluth, grandmasmarathon.com/ marathon-weekend

Monsters & Mayhem

7 p.m. (& 1 p.m. Sat.) Murillo Fair Grounds, Murillo, tbca.com

June 16-18

Wooden Boat Show & Summer Solstice Festival North House Folk School, Grand Marais, northhouse.org

June 17, Saturday

Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon 6:15 a.m. Duluth, grandmasmarathon.com

AEOA Home Stretch Workshop

8:30 a.m. Two Harbors, aeoa.org

Harbor History Walking Tour

1 p.m. Cook County Historical Museum, Grand Marais, cookcountyhistory.org

Open Art Group 1 p.m. Northwoods Friends of the Arts Gallery, Cook, MN, nwfamn.org

Solstice Celebration 5 p.m. Sivertson Gallery, Grand Marais, sivertson.com

Michael Monroe Log Cabin Concert 7 p.m. Grand Marais, michaelmonroemusic.com

Whirled Muse Concert

7 p.m. Vermilion College Theater, Ely, northernlakesarts.org

Dance Party with DJ Beavstar 9:30 p.m. Papa Charlie’s, Lutsen, lutsen.com

June 17-18

Boundary Waters Expo

Seagull Lake Public Landing, Gunflint Trail, visitcookcounty.com/bwcaexpo

June 18, Sunday

Father’s

Day

Grandma’s Marathon 7:45 a.m. Duluth, grandmasmarathon.com

Fern Finding at Lutsen SNA 10 a.m. Mountain Top Inn Parking Lot, Lutsen Ski Hill Road, sugarloafnorthshore.org

Circuit Breakers 5 p.m. Raven Rock Grill at Skyport Lodge, Grand Marais, skyportlodge.com

Jerry Vandiver 5:30 p.m. Justine’s at Gunflint Lodge, Gunflint Trail, gunflint.com

Jason Wusso & Friends

7:30 p.m. Gun Flint Tavern, Grand Marais, gunflinttavern.com

June 19, Monday

Scrabble & Vinyl Night

5 p.m. Voyageur Brewing, Grand Marais, voyageurbrewing.com

Divas Presented By Army of Sass Thunder Bay 8 p.m. Thunder Bay Community Auditorium, tbca.com

June 19-20

MN Rural Health Conference Duluth DECC, minnesotaruralhealthconference.org

Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics North Shore

June 20, Tuesday

Wet Your Paddle: Free 11 a.m. Gunflint Lodge & Outfitters, Gunflint Trail, gunflint.com

Sawmill Tours 12:30 p.m.

Hedstrom Lumber Company, Gunflint Trail (218) 877-7030

Free USFS Presentation 2 p.m.

Chik-Wauk Museum & Nature Center, Gunflint Trail, chikwauk.com

Grief Group: Learning Life After Loss

3:30 p.m. First Congregational Church, Grand Marais, (218) 387-3788

Artist Talk: Before & After: A Landscape

4:30 p.m. Johnson Heritage Post, Grand Marais, grandmaraisartcolony.org

Garden Nights 6 p.m. Hartley Nature Center, Duluth, hartleynature.org

June 20-June 25

 Woodland Chamber

Music Workshop Surfside Resort, Tofte, June 21, Wednesday

Summer Solstice

National Aboriginal Day Prince Arthur’s Landing, Thunder Bay, nadtbay.ca

Beaver Hike 6 p.m. Hartley Nature Center, Duluth, hartleynature.org

Ely Field Naturalists Nature Night: Free 7 p.m. Vermilion Community College, Ely, ely.org

Game Tournament 8 p.m.

Red Lion Smokehouse, Thunder Bay, redlionsmokehouse.ca

Celtic Music with John Silliman 9 p.m. Justine’s at Gunflint Lodge, Gunflint Trail, gunflint.com

June 21-22

MN Age & Disabilities Odyssey Conference Duluth DECC, mn.gov/dhs/odyssey

June 22, Thursday

Summer Theater Preview & Midnight Snacks 7 p.m. Arrowhead Center for the Arts, Grand Marais, grandmaraisplayhouse.com

June 22-24

What She Said: One-Act Festival 6:30 p.m. The Underground Theatre, Duluth, duluthplayhouse.org

June 23, Friday

Sawmill Tours 10 a.m. Hedstrom Lumber Company, Gunflint Trail (218) 877-7030

Crapola Fest 3 p.m. Crapola, Ely, ely.org

Lutsen Block Party 4 p.m.

Downtown Lutsen

Saints’ Soiree 6 p.m. St. Scholastica Science Center, Duluth, ljohns15@css.edu

Ceilidh Dance 7:30 p.m. Polish Legion Branch #219, Thunder Bay, canadiancelticcelebration.com

June 23-24

Evergreen Grass Band

8 p.m. Gun Flint Tavern, Grand Marais, gunflinttavern.com

June 23-25

Finnish Midsummer Weekend

Ely Folk School, Ely, elyfolkschool.org

Honk Jr! The Musical Duluth Playhouse, duluthplayhouse.org

QGrill & Chill Ely Legion Classic Veterans Memorial Field, Ely, ely.org

June 24, Saturday

Cross River Annual Meeting

5 p.m. Schroeder Town Hall, crossriverheritage.org

Lutsen 99er

Lutsen Mountains, lutsen99er.com

Canada Day Sprints Regatta

Thunder Bay Rowing Club, thunderbayrowingclub.com

Thunder Bay Potter’s Guild Pottery Fair

Prince Arthur’s Landing, Thunder Bay, tbpottersguild.jimdo.com

Rhubarb Festival 9 a.m. Duluth, chumduluth.org/rhubarbfestival.htm

Two Harbors Farmers Market

9 a.m. Thomas Owens Park, Two Harbors, twoharborsfarmersmarket.com

Children’s Day 10 a.m.

Split Rock Lighthouse, Two Harbors, mnhs.org/splitrock

Doggie Hike 10 a.m.

Rossini Road Trailhead Parking Lot, Two Harbors, shta.org

Pints & Poses Yoga 10 a.m. Voyageur Brewing, Grand Marais, voyageurbrewing.com

Ely Greenstone Art Auction Ely Arts & Heritage Center, elygreenstone.org

Peregrine Falcons on the North Shore

1 p.m. Split Rock Lighthouse, Two Harbors, mnhs.org/splitrock

Harbor History Walking Tour

1 p.m. Cook County Historical Museum, Grand Marais, cookcountyhistory.org

Writer’s Salon with Lorna Landvick

7 p.m. Drury Lane Books, Grand Marais, drurylanebooks.com

Canadian Celtic Celebration

7:30 p.m. Thunder Bay Community Auditorium, tbca.com

June 24-25

Waterfront Art Sale Baggage Building Arts Center, Thunder Bay (807) 684-2063

Park Point Art Fair 10 a.m. Park Point, Duluth, parkpointartfair.org

Ely Ham Radio 24 Hour Event Miners Dry House, Ely, ely.org

June 24-26

Outdoor Writers of America Conference Duluth DECC, owaa.org/2017conference

June 25, Sunday

Life on the Edge 10 a.m. Sugarloaf Cove, Schroeder, sugarloafnorthshore.org

Dorothy Day 11 a.m. Dorothy Molter Museum, Ely, rootbeerlady.com

Pints & Poses 11:30 a.m.

Red Lion Smokehouse, Thunder Bay, redlionsmokehouse.ca

Loons from a Loon Enthusiast’s Point of View 2 p.m. Chik-Wauk Museum & Nature Center, Gunflint Trail, chikwauk.com

NSHCF Barbecue Buffet Fundraiser

4 p.m. Gunflint Lodge, Gunflint Trail, northshorehealthcarefoundation.org

Pushing Chain 5 p.m. Raven Rock Grill at Skyport Lodge, Grand Marais, skyportlodge.com

June 25-26

Mark Joseph & American Soul

7:30 p.m. Gun Flint Tavern, Grand Marais, gunflinttavern.com

June 26, Monday

Trivia Night 5 p.m. Voyageur Brewing, Grand Marais, voyageurbrewing.com

June 27, Tuesday

Garden Party & High Tea Open House

3 p.m. Salvation Army Centre, Thunder Bay, satbcars.com

Wet Your Paddle: Free 11 a.m. Gunflint Lodge & Outfitters, Gunflint Trail, gunflint.com

Free Kid’s Day 11 a.m.

Chik-Wauk Museum & Nature Center, Gunflint Trail, chikwauk.com

Sawmill Tours 12:30 p.m.

Hedstrom Lumber Company, Gunflint Trail (218) 877-7030

What the Sun Sends Us 1 p.m. Ely Public Library, elylibrary.org

Free USFS Presentation

2 p.m. Chik-Wauk Museum & Nature Center, Gunflint Trail, chikwauk.com

Teague Alexy 7:30 p.m. Gun Flint Tavern, Grand Marais, gunflinttavern.com

Take It With You: Live Theatre Radio

7:30 p.m. The Underground Theatre, Duluth, duluthplayhouse.org

June 28, Wednesday

Summer History Nights: Free

7 p.m. Vermilion Community College, Ely, ely.org

Quiz Night 8 p.m. Red Lion Smokehouse, Thunder Bay, redlionsmokehouse.ca

June 30, Friday

Sawmill Tours 10 a.m. Hedstrom Lumber Company, Gunflint Trail (218) 877-7030

Pinterest Projects 4 p.m. Ely Public Library, elylibrary.org

Brothers in Arms 8:30 p.m. Gun Flint Tavern, Grand Marais, gunflinttavern.com

Mondays

Open Mic 6 p.m. Grandma Ray’s, Grand Marais (218) 387-2974

Help with a Project & Open Knitting

6:30 p.m. Sisu Designs Yarn Shop, Ely, sisudesigns.org

Live Music 9 p.m. Bluefin Grille, Tofte, blufinbay.com

Tuesdays

Ely Farmers Market & Artists Market

5 p.m. Whiteside Park, Ely, ely.org

Tuesday Trivia 7 p.m. Grandma Ray’s, Grand Marais (218) 387-2974

Wednesdays

Up & Out with the Birds & Nature Hike

6 a.m. & 9 a.m. Ely Visitor Center, ely.org

Country Market 3:30 p.m. CLE Dove Building, Thunder Bay, thunderbaycountrymarket.com

Open Mic 5 p.m. Gun Flint Tavern, Grand Marais, gunflinttavern.com

Beer Garden: Free 7 p.m. Glensheen Mansion, Duluth, glensheen.org

Thursdays

Finland Farmer’s Market (starting June 15) 5 p.m. Clair Nelson Center, Finland, friendsoffinland.org

Group Bike Rides 6 p.m. Trezona Trailhead, Ely, bikeely.com/community

DJ Trivia 7 p.m. Kamloops, Two Harbors, superiorshores.com

Celtic Night 7:30 p.m. Red Lion Smokehouse, Thunder Bay, redlionsmokehouse.ca

Karaoke 9 p.m. Grandma Ray’s, Grand Marais (218) 387-2974

Fridays

Preschool Storytime 10:30 a.m. Ely Public Library, elylibrary.org

Live Music Grandma Ray’s, Grand Marais (218) 387-2974

Live Music 4 p.m. Voyageur Brewing, Grand Marais, voyageurbrewing.com

Live Music 8 p.m. Kamloops, Two Harbors, superiorshores.com

Live Music 9 p.m. Bluefin Grille, Tofte, bluefinbay.com

Saturdays

Country Market 8 a.m.

CLE Dove Building, Thunder Bay, thunderbaycountrymarket.com

Cook County Market 9 a.m.

Downtown Grand Marais Voyageur Brewing Company Tour 11 a.m. & 1 p.m. Voyageur Brewing, Grand Marais, voyageurbrewing.com

Children’s Story Hour with the Muffin Man 11 a.m. Drury Lane Books, Grand Marais, drurylanebooks.com

Interpretive Hikes 12:30 p.m. Chik-Wauk Museum & Nature Center, Gunflint Trail, chikwauk.com

Saturdays in the Studio: Free Art Demos (except June 10) 1 p.m. Grand Marais Art Colony, grandmaraisartcolony.org

Open Knitting 1 p.m. Sisu Designs Yarn Shop, Ely, sisudesigns.org

Nature Related Films 1 p.m.

US Forest Service Kawishiwi Ranger Station, Ely, ely.org

Tour the North House Campus 2 p.m. North House Folk School, Grand Marais, northhouse.org

Live Music 4 p.m. Voyageur Brewing, Grand Marais, voyageurbrewing.com

Live Music 7 p.m. Lutsen Resort, Lutsen, lutsenresort.com

Live Music 7 p.m.

Cascade Lodge & Restaurant, Lutsen, cascadelodgemn.com

Campfire Music 7 p.m. Bluefin Bay, Tofte, bluefinbay.com

Live Music Grandma Ray’s, Grand Marais (218) 387-2974

Timmy Haus (except June 17) 9:30 p.m. Papa Charlie’s, Lutsen, lutsen.com

Live Music 10 p.m. Red Lion Smokehouse, Thunder Bay, redlionsmokehouse.ca

Sundays

Voyageur Brewing Company Tour

1 p.m. Voyageur Brewing, Grand Marais, voyageurbrewing.com

NCCA Fat Bike Adventure Safari Rides

1 p.m. Washburn/Ashland, WI, northcoastcycling.com

Nature Related Films 1 p.m.

US Forest Service Kawishiwi Ranger Station, Ely, ely.org

Dinner Menu Reserve by Noon Served at 5:30 pm with bread, cottage cheese, a salad or applesauce. Also a vegetable, dessert and coffee or hot tea.

 BBQ Baby Back Ribs

 Roasted Duck

 10 oz Ribeye Steak

 Swedish Pancakes

 Made to order eggs

 Shore lunch potatoes (sausage, peppers, onions, potatoes)

 Hash browns

 Bacon, Sausage links or patties

 French toast

 Toast

 Served with unlimited juice, milk, coffee, or tea.

 Chicken Alice

 Rack of Lamb w/ Blueberry Sauce

 Walleye

 Wild-caught Salmon

 Meatloaf (Mondays)

 Homemade Lasagna (Wednesdays)

 Vegetarian and Children’s options available.

If you are looking for a different kind of date night, maybe a picnic or take-out with a movie at home, this year’s “TakeOut” and “Speedy Service” winner fits the bill: Hughie’s Taco House in Grand Marais. Since 2008, Hughie’s has been the home of the puff taco and has become known for its speedy, warm service and good food. Named for the owner’s father, Hugh, Hughie’s brings southwestern food to northeastern Minnesota.

Hughie’s makes their own fry bread-like taco shells to order, filled with your choice of meats, beans, cheese and lettuce, with extra add-ons including jalapenos, chipotle sour cream and onions. Don’t skip the chipotle sour cream—it’s Hughie’s number one sauce.

“It makes the fish taco, and everything else for that matter,” said owner Anna Hamilton.

Tacos, chimichangas, burritos, taco salad, nachos and even a pulled pork sandwich are on the menu, alongside chips, beans and rice, guacamole, queso and hot taters. A nice menu to mix and match for a date night.

In addition to the wins in take-out and speedy service, Hughie’s also brought home the award for “Ethnic Fare” this year. At Hughie’s you will find not only southwestern flavors, but also some melding of ethnic fare with the sauerkraut taco. In Chicago I came across a kimchi taco at a Korean-owned taqueria, so I guess combining the classic Mexican taco with fermented condiments must be a fun mixing of flavors.

Hughie’s Taco House (15 W. Highway 61) is open Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m.-7 p.m. (May through October).

Some date nights don’t require a full meal, but rather a nice drink to sip with a beautiful view and good company. This year’s winner of both “Best Cocktails” and “Beer Selection” is a perfect option: Gun Flint Tavern in Grand Marais. Located right across from the Grand Marais Harbor, the Tavern offers views from both the main restaurant and rooftop deck.

When the Gun Flint Tavern opened 19 years ago, it was the owner’s dream to be the North Shore’s first brewpub. In late 2014, this dream became a reality when they poured their first house-made beer. Today, they have a rotating selection of their own brews, as well as a large selection of other local and regional beers and imports. The Tavern-brewed options currently include the Sawtooth Mountain Pale Ale, Northern Exposure IPA, Jasper Brown Ale, Hungry Jack Porter and Steelhead Session Ale. Brewing is done on site, with a five barrel system from New Zealand, just down the hall from the main dining room and bar. Between the house-made beer and the many other beer selections, it would be hard for a beer-lover to not find something to enjoy.

The Gun Flint Tavern also serves a variety of cocktails. Their Bloody Mary is well-known, with their own spicy mix, garnished with a jumbo shrimp, pickle, lime and olive. This is one of those drinks that could pass as a drink and a meal, or at least an appetizer. They also have a nice selection of martinis and cocktails.

Hughie’s is well-known for their homemade fry bread-like puff tacos, filled with your choice of meats, beans, cheese, lettuce and extra add-ons.

| MAREN WEBB

During the summer season, the Tavern opens up its rooftop bar on the weekends. This is the perfect spot for your date night drink, especially when live music is playing.

The Gun Flint Tavern (111 W. Wisconsin Street) is open daily from 11 a.m.-1 a.m.

This summer, enjoy a few fun date nights; choose a nice sit-down meal, or-

der take-out, or try a fun drink at one of the winning Reader’s Choice Restaurant Awards locations. Thank you to all that voted in the contest this year and congratulations to all the winning restaurants and establishments.

Sponsored by Mark D. Consulting, LLC Serving Businesses and Residential Customers. 218-663-7149

Mark@MarkDConsulting.com

Photo by Paul Sundberg

Gitchi Gami State Trail

Appetizers

1st Cascade

2nd Grandma Ray’s

3rd Gun Flint Tavern

Steak

1st Harbor House

2nd Crooked Spoon

3rd Ely Steakhouse

Burger

1st My Sister’s Place

2nd Cascade

3rd Northwoods Family Grill

Fish

1st Angry Trout

2nd Dockside

3rd Lemon Wolf

Pizza

1st Sven & Oles

2nd Sydney’s

3rd My Sister’s Place

Soup

1st Cook County

Whole Foods Co-op

2nd Crooked Spoon 3rd Cascade

Salad

1st Angry Trout

2nd Lemon Wolf

3rd Crooked Spoon

Breakfast

1st Cascade

2nd Bluewater

3rd Vanilla Bean

The North Shore’s Favorite Restaurants

Northern Wilds readers know where to satisfy their wide-ranging appetites. This year, around 600 people voted in our annual Reader’s Choice Restaurant Awards. Thank you to everyone who participated and to the restaurants who promoted the contest to their customers.

Who has the Best?

Baked Goods

1st World’s Best Donuts

2nd Coho Café

3rd Louise’s Place

Sweets

1st Gunflint Mercantile

2nd Great Lakes Candy Kitchen 3rd Harbor House

Coffee

1st Java Moose 2nd Fika

3rd TIE: Cedar Coffee Company & Vanilla Bean

Wine

1st North Shore Winery 2nd Lutsen Resort

3rd Crooked Spoon

Cocktails

1st Gun Flint Tavern

2nd Grandma Ray’s 3rd Black Water Lounge

Beer Selection

1st Gun Flint Tavern

2nd Voyageur Brewery 3rd Boathouse Brew Pub & Restaurant

Regional Craft Beer

1st Voyageur Brewery

2nd Castle Danger Brewery 3rd Gun Flint Tavern

Happy Hour

1st Cascade

2nd Raven Rock at Skyport

3rd Gun Flint Tavern

Music Venue

1st Papa Charlie’s

2nd Gun Flint Tavern

3rd Grandma Ray’s

Fine Dining

1st Crooked Spoon

2nd Lutsen Resort

3rd New Scenic Café

Artistic Flare from the Chef

1st Crooked Spoon

2nd New Scenic Café

3rd Harbor House

Use of Regional

Ingredients

1st Angry Trout

2nd Duluth Grille

3rd Insula

Ethnic Fare

1st Hughie’s 2nd Gun Flint Tavern

3rd TIE: Va Bene Caffe & Northern Lights Roadhouse

Northwoods

Character

1st Trail Center

2nd Cascade 3rd Lemon Wolf

View

1st Angry Trout

2nd Sydney’s

3rd Bluefin Grille

Worth the Drive

1st Trail Center

2nd Cascade

3rd TIE: Lemon Wolf & Vanilla Bean

Kid-friendly Menu

1st Dairy Queen

2nd Sven & Ole’s

3rd My Sister’s Place

Vegetarianfriendly Menu

1st Duluth Grille

2nd Cascade

3rd Gun Flint Tavern

Server or Bartender

1st Sara Tate: Bluewater

2nd Flavia Alvarez: Cascade 3rd Shem Falter: Moguls

Speedy Service

1st Hughie’s 2nd Cascade 3rd Bluewater

Take-out

1st Hughie’s

2nd Sven & Ole’s

3rd My Sister’s Place

Thumbs UP from DOWN river

Keith Erickson’s family lives down river from Polymet Mining’s proposed copper-nickel mine, and he’s on board. The third generation miner knows the company has invested in the modern, safe technology needed to protect the environment. And, he says, the environmental review and permitting process will make sure of it.

Northern Trails

What’s So Great about Fishing in Canada?

By Gord Ellis

The publisher of this fine publication, Shawn Perich, has suggested I write a column in honour of Canada’s 150th birthday. He wants me to do this by talking about why fishing in Canada is so great. Perich, who I consider an honorary Canadian, appreciates as well as anyone this country’s fine angling. He slips over the border every spring and enjoys the steelhead that run up our largely deserted coastal streams. I know he doesn’t like me to draw too much attention to these largely untapped rivers, so I will leave that there. Yet a lack of population, coupled with vast resources, is just one of the many reasons Canada rocks as a fishing destination.

There are many reasons why Canada remains the greatest place to fish in the world. For starters, nearly every freshwater species that is desirable to anglers can be found in Canada and the fish are often of unusual size. In Northwestern Ontario, where I do most of my angling, the list of species you can fish for is amazing. On the cold water side, there are steelhead (rainbow) trout, lake trout, brook trout, chinook, pink and coho salmon, splake, brown trout and whitefish. On the warm water side, there are pike, muskie, smallmouth and largemouth bass, crappie, perch, walleye, sunfish and rock bass. Both these lists leave out oddball species such as smelt, sucker, herring and burbot. We also have sturgeon, but they are protected. Again, I’m just talking about species found in Northwestern Ontario. In other words, all these species are available within four hours of my home in Thunder Bay. If you start heading east, west or north across Canada, the number of species grows and changes. Hit the oceans, and then things really get interesting.

One thing about Canada that I think is undersold, but really matters, is our progressive fisheries regulations. Although the provinces manage their freshwater fisheries individually, when it comes to regulation, the majority of them have gone with very conservative measures. In Northwestern Ontario, the move to conservative regulations began more than two decades ago. Walleye, bass and pike limits were reduced and in many areas, minimum or maximum size limits were introduced. Vulnerable cold-water fish like steelhead, brook trout and lake trout saw bag limits reduced, with an emphasis on protecting wild stocks. For brook trout, wild inland stocks were protected from winter fishing. Stocked, put-and-take trout lakes were

opened year round to take up the slack. Muskellunge, one of the most valuable and prized of all freshwater fish, were given lake-specific size regulations that emphasized catch and release of trophy fish. These changes, over time, completely altered the expectation of what a memorable fishing trip was. No longer was success measured in dead fish. Anglers on both sides of the border began to realize that

due to tight regulation, Ontario’s world quality fishing was not on the decline, but actually improving. Tightly monitored harvest regulations are not an idea that has been embraced all over North America, but in Canada, they are the norm.

Canada also has some of the most beautiful lakes, rivers and reservoirs you will ever lay eyes on. Many of them remain

pristine, and are largely unchanged despite the sprawl that has impacted much of the world. Not all of Canada is this way of course. A quick trip to Toronto, or Vancouver or Winnipeg, will show you that there are big cities and tall buildings in Canada. But even Canada’s urban fisheries are remarkably good. You can catch pike, bass, steelhead and salmon within sight of the CN tower in Toronto. Giant catfish and walleye are caught on the Red River in downtown Winnipeg. In Thunder Bay, steelhead run the city streams in the hundreds, providing awesome angling opportunities. And yes, these fish are also protected by a minimum size limit, so it’s largely catch and release. But I digress. Back to the natural beauty.

From coast to coast to coast, Canada has countless streams, creeks and lakes that are surrounded by breathtaking vistas. Whether it be the glacial streams of the Rocky Mountains in the west; the glistening Boreal Shield lakes of Ontario; or the freestone Atlantic salmon streams of Newfoundland and Labrador, you would be hard pressed to find lovelier surroundings for angling. While many of these places are remote, not all of them are. In fact, a drive on the Trans Canada along the coast of Lake Superior gives you foot access to some of the most splendid, glorious trout rivers you could ever wade. Sorry, Perich.

Happy birthday Canada and thanks for the great fishing.

Jeff Gustafson with a beautiful brookie. | GORD ELLIS

Canada’s lakes and streams provide great fishing with amazing views. | GORD ELLIS

museum and nature center

Programs

All programs are at the Chik-Wauk Nature Center and FREE to the public unless noted

Treasures from the Dungeon

Sunday, June 4, 2-3 pm. With Steve Veit. Take a virtual tour of Grand Portage National Monument’s Museum Collections.

GTHS Shrimp Boil

Seagull Lake Community Center

June 11th, 4 pm, $15/person (suggested donation)

Loons from a Loon Enthusiast’s Point of View

Sunday, June 25, 2-3 pm. By Phyllis Sherman, a volunteer for the DNR non-game division in LoonWatch program since 2003. Meaningful and fun Loon inspired door prizes for attendees.

Weekly Events

Kids’ Day

Tuesdays, June 27 to August 22, 11 am to 4 pm

Stories, hikes, journal-making & crafts

USFS Presentations

Tuesdays, June 20 – August 22, 2 –3 pm

Various Northwoods-themed topics presented by U.S. Forest Service naturalists

Open

Memorial Weekend - October 22

10 am - 5 pm

Nature Center 11 am - 4 pm

Admission Fee

28 Moose Pond Drive,Grand Marais 55 miles up the Gunflint Trail.

218-388-9915

info@chikwauk.com www.chikwauk.com

Go fishing!

(and take a kid, too)

By Joe Friedrichs

If someone was looking for an excuse to not take a youngster fishing during the second weekend of June in northeastern Minnesota, geographic proximity to fishing holes would likely be the worst excuse imaginable.

In fact, it would be a challenge to travel more than a mile or two in any given direction throughout the Northern Wilds and not be able to find a location to go fishing. From tiny streams holding native brook trout to lakes more than 100-feetdeep that are home to a plethora of game fish, the options for where to go fishing are as widespread as they are diverse.

And so it comes with a degree of enthusiasm that the Minnesota DNR has declared June 9-11 (Friday through Sunday) Take a Kid Fishing Weekend. What this means is that Minnesotans older than age 16, who take a child 15 or younger fishing, don’t need a license that weekend. The idea behind the annual weekend is to encourage young people to get outdoors and enjoy what fishing has to offer. By encouraging adults to take kids fishing as well, and at no cost, there is the hope that more adults will get inspired to pick up angling, too. And according to the DNR, opportunities for inexperienced, beginner anglers abound throughout Minnesota.

“Take a Kid Fishing Weekend is one way, and a good way, to give somebody a start, and maybe to rekindle a parent or grandparent’s love of the sport,” said Steve Persons, the DNR area fisheries supervisor in Grand Marais. “Events like the Take a

Kid Fishing Weekend are intended to expose kids to a great recreational activity, and to help them understand the value of clean water and healthy ecosystems. These events also give families an opportunity to share some outdoor time together.”

James Egan is a fishing guide at Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply in Grand Marais. He said memories created while fishing at an early age often carry meaning for decades to come.

“When I’m out with beginners, my lessons often come back to ‘this is how my father taught me,’ or ‘this is how we did it when I was a kid,’” Egan said. “Then I realize how important the time was that my father and grandfather spent with me, in the boat, on the shore or in the water. I guess I’m quietly thanking them, and giving to others what was given to me. And that’s the knowledge and joy of fishing.”

Egan said that for anglers of all ages, catching fish is just one part of what the experience of wetting a line has to offer. Groups ranging from children to adults all light up when Egan starts to explain what is happening within the ecosystem where a fish is caught.

“The fish are just another part of a larger experience,” he said. “The trout’s belly is gorged with hard-bodied snails. Here’s the cabbage weed that the snails live on. There’s an eagle hunting for fish. It’s a wide world of wonderful small experiences.”

Brittney Doll is a manager at Seagull Outfitters, located up the Gunflint Trail. She said events like Take a Kid Fishing Weekend are important to keeping family

traditions of fishing and canoeing alive in Minnesota.

“We wholeheartedly support the DNR’s efforts to expose our state’s youth to the pristine wilderness of the state of Minnesota,” she said. “As residents of the Gunflint Trail and lifelong adventurers of the Boundary Waters, there is nothing more beneficial to our cause than the continued presence of families in our waters.”

Doll said the DNR’s free fishing weekend with kids provides a low-cost opportunity to get children outside in the fresh air and to create important memories as a family.

“This hobby can potentially expand and continue to encompass their lives as young adults, promoting long-term business along the North Shore, as well the next generation’s love for the outdoors,” she said.

From the DNR’s perspective, Persons acknowledged the diversity of places to go fishing in northeastern Minnesota as a perfect reason to take a young person fishing on Take a Kid Fishing Weekend.

“Minnesota offers a huge range of fishing opportunities, from sitting on the bank of a stream with a pole and a bobber, to chartering a trip on Lake Superior,” he said. “Hopefully kids and their families will have a great time on the water, and will want to make such outings a regular part of their lives.”

For more information, visit: dnr.state. mn.us/takeakidfishing/index.html

Wild Traditions

Celebrating Seed Diversity

By Julia Prinselaar

Growing up with the influences of an Italian heritage, gardening played a significant role during my childhood. As a young girl, I spent summers in the backyard of my nanna and nonno’s house, catching shade behind the rows of pole beans, and watching my nanna’s homemade scare crow blow in the wind. Each year she would dress it in one of her old cotton blouses, fashioned with an aluminum pie plate for a face.

But it wasn’t until I read Michael Pollan’s keystone book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, that I felt compelled to become more engaged with the food I consumed. His 2006 work followed the food chains that sustain our global appetite: industrial food, organic food, and what we grow and forage ourselves, from farm to table. In the process, Pollan writes a groundbreaking critique of the American way of eating that inspired many, including myself, to pursue a more local diet.

So I decided to grow a garden of my own, reviving a small, overgrown flower garden in my parents’ back yard.

It was a good place to start. A smaller patch is much easier to maintain and helps to control the overzealous tendencies of a first-time gardener—that urge to plant and grow so much more than you can handle.

Still, years later, I haven’t managed to curb the habit of planting half-a-dozen or more varieties of tomatoes, five different types of lettuces and salad greens, and more squash than I have space. Last summer I learned a hard lesson after planting my winter squash too close together and harvested just a single, small butternut.

It’s easy to get carried away with planning a garden, not only because of what vegetables you want to plant, but how many varieties there are of each.

Part of why people grow their own food is because of the choice that comes with it. Take a stroll down the produce aisles of your average grocery store and you’ll probably find one type of hothouse tomato, maybe some cherry and vine tomatoes, and typically a plum tomato, usually a Roma. Even less impressive are celery, broccoli, garlic and carrots—usually just one variety of each that have been selected more for their travel capacity than for flavour.

But open a catalogue from an heirloom seed house or visit a gardening centre, and the vegetables get a lot more exciting.

Heirloom seeds are seeds that have been saved and passed down over generations, prized for their characteristics and traits that come from a particular geographic region. Some of the most popular among gardeners are tomatoes—it’s estimated that at least 3,000 heritage varieties exist around the world in hues of yellow, orange, pink, red, brown and purple.

For example, the luminous swirls of the red and orange Sunrise Bumblebee tomato can highlight a garden salad and make a great conversation starter around the dinner table. Yet you would be hard-pressed to find a Black Plum tomato in your supermarket, an endangered Russian heirloom that creates a dark sauce and was once a staple in that country’s canning industry.

Many heirlooms have interesting back-

ground stories, like the Mortgage Lifter, developed by a West Virginia man in the 1920s. According to lore, these 2 lb. tomatoes were so successful, he paid off his home mortgage with their sales.

In an age of globalization, when foods routinely travel international borders and oceans to their destination, many fruits and vegetable varieties are selected because of their ability to keep well in transit.

In an average North American supermarket, it’s not unusual to find off-season blueberries from Chile, and certainly bananas at any time of the year. The sheer volume of produce presents a sense of abundance and choice, but it actually reflects a different reality.

The majority of bananas sold in North

America are Cavendish, a cultivar that has out-competed about a thousand other varieties and maintains a stronghold in the global banana market. But when we choose to grow just one variety of banana (or anything, be it corn, canola or soy), we lose out on diversity—not only in genetics, but the flavours, stories and culinary traditions that go with it.

Since the 1990s, the Cavendish banana has been under threat by Panama disease, a leaf-wilting fungus. Monocrops—acres of the same genetic strain—are suitable for market because they ripen at the same rate and taste the same. It also means they fall prey to the same pests and diseases. In the case of the Cavendish, Panama disease has wiped out tens of thousands of acres of these plants.

Meanwhile, there’s a disturbing trend among worldwide biotechnology companies to merge with one another. Pharmaceutical giant Bayer AG is proposing a $66 billion takeover of Monsanto. It’s a move that could allow the GMO seed-production giant to capture more than 25 percent of the global seed and agrochemical market. While supporters claim the deal would boost agricultural innovation, it also results in ownership and control of patented and genetically-modified seeds becoming concentrated in fewer corporate hands.

Now is the time to put those seeds into freshly-tilled soil. Try growing an open-pollinated heirloom variety of your favourite garden vegetable. This way, you’re taking action to support biodiversity and control your own food security by ensuring the continuation of seeds that can be saved and shared freely.

Mixed salad greens: bronze arrow lettuce, Japanese mizuna greens and Tuscan lacinato kale. | JULIA PRINSELAAR

Black cherry tomatoes. | JULIA PRINSELAAR

June 2017

northern sky

By Deane Morrison MINNESOTA STARWATCH

After nightfall this month, we can compare two giants: Saturn and Jupiter. Jupiter comes out as a beacon in the southwest and sets in the west a few hours later. Trailing it is Spica, the brightest star in Virgo. Below Spica and Jupiter is the skewed, four-sided form of Corvus, the crow.

Saturn rises in the east around sunset and travels the night sky between Scorpius and its red heart, Antares, to the west and the Teapot of Sagittarius to the east. On June 15, Earth laps the ringed planet in the orbital race and it will be at its brightest for the year.

Above Saturn and Jupiter, brilliant Arcturus anchors the kite-shaped constellation Bootes, the herdsman. Just east of high-flying Bootes hangs Corona Borealis, the northern crown, with its brightest star, Gemma, near the lowest point. Gemma is also known as Alphecca, from the Arabic for a bright star in a broken ring of stars.

In the morning sky, Venus shines brightly, low in the east. A waning crescent moon visits on the 20th and 21st.

June’s “strawberry moon” becomes full on the 9th at 8:10 a.m., but by then it will have set. To catch it, go out the night before or by 5 a.m. the morning of the 9th. This is the most distant full moon of the year, coming less than a day after the moon reaches apogee, the farthest point from Earth in its orbit. The night of the 9-10th, the moon and Saturn cross the sky together.

Summer arrives at 11:24 p.m. on Tuesday, the 20th, when the sun reaches a point over the Tropic of Cancer. At that moment, Earth will be lighted from the Antarctic Circle up to and past the North Pole, all the way to the Arctic Circle on the night side of the planet.

The University of Minnesota offers public viewings of the night sky at its Duluth campus. For more information and viewing schedules, see the Marshall W. Alworth Planetarium at: d.umn.edu/planet.

Vinyl &Lettering Signage

Design

• Super One stores

• DeWitt Seitz

• Whole Foods Co-op

• Cashwise Liquor

• Cub Foods

• Edgewater Hotel

• New London Cafe

• Lester Park Information Center

• The Duluth Pack Store

• Red Mug

print@northernwilds.com 1708 West Hwy. 61 Grand Marais, MN

Northwest Outlet • Canal Park Hotels • Spirit Mountain • Perkins restaurants • Canal Park Brewery and many more!

County Firewise 411 W 2nd St, Grand Marais, MN 55604 firewise@co.cook.mn.us Phone: 218.235.0899 www.cookcountyfirewise.org

Strange Tales

Celebrating Canada’s History

By Elle AndraWarner

Back on July 1, 1867, the country started with four provinces, population between 3 and 3.5 million, and Sir John Macdonald as its first Prime Minister of Canada.

It was the British North America Act of 1867 that united three British colonies in North America—Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and the Province of Canada (consisting of Canada West and Canada East)—into “one Dominion under the name of Canada.” Those three colonies became the founding four provinces of Canadian Confederation, using their colonial boundaries as their new provincial ones: Ontario (formerly Canada West), Quebec (formerly Canada East), Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

What led to the formation of Canada 150 years ago? Economic and trade factors, political restructuring and fending off U.S. annexation goals by expansionists like Minnesota’s U.S. Senator Alexander Ramsey, the former governor of Minnesota. Five months after Canada was created, Ramsey introduced a Senate bill “calling for Canada to cede to the United States all of its land west of the 90th meridian (William Lass, Minnesota’s Boundary With Canada, p. 77). That bill failed, but he tried again in March 1868, proposing a treaty be negotiated with Great Britain for the U.S. to take over Canada west of the 90th meridian. Senate passed the bill but took no action. Nonetheless, Lass writes that “Freedom for western Canada, they [annexationists] said, would be achieved only when it became part of American democracy.”

On July 1, 1867, most of present-day Northwestern Ontario (NWO) was not a part of the new country of Canada. The western boundary of Ontario—set to what it was as the British colony—was presumed to end just around today’s Thunder Bay (no definitive geographical determination). That meant most of NWO was still in Rupert’s Land, controlled by the fur-trading Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC). A Royal Charter given in 1670 to HBC by King Charles II of England had awarded HBC sole possession of all the seas, waters, lakes and lands of the Hudson Bay and its drainage system, plus the “absolute power to establish and enforce laws and to erect forts, as well as have its own soldiers, maintain a navy and make peace or war with the First Nations.” The area was equivalent to about 40 percent of modern-day Canada.

However, in the early 1860s, HBC signalled it was ready to transfer its vast Rupert’s Land to Canada. So in 1870, Canada

paid £ 300,000 plus some considerations to HBC for its territory. (In NWO, until treaties were signed between Ojibway and the government of Canada, the land west of Lake Superior was considered Ojibway territory; they controlled access and provided guides.)

It was also in 1870 that the Red River Expedition, a military force of 1,200 British soldiers and Canadian militia led by British Colonel Garnet Wolseley, arrived in May by ship at “The Depot” (later named Prince Arthur’s Landing by Wolseley, then City of Port Arthur, now part of today’s Thunder Bay) and camped at the mouth of McVicar Creek. They were being sent to Manitoba to squelch the resistance movement led by Louis Riel to ensure Métis rights after the land transfer by HBC. By the time the Expedition arrived in Fort Garry in August 1870, Riel had fled and negotiations with Canada had resulted in a “postage-size” Manitoba joining Canada as the fifth province on July 15, 1870. Today, Riel is hailed as the “Father of Manitoba.”

But that led to another problem—where did Ontario’s boundary end and Manitoba’s start? From 1870 until 1884, the Ontario-Manitoba Boundary Dispute, dubbed the Rat Portage Wars, raged on with both claiming the same land, with the flashpoint becoming Rat Portage (renamed Kenora in 1905) on the north shore of Lake of the Woods. Ontario insisted its western boundary stretched to Lake of the Woods, while Manitoba claimed lands right to Lake Superior (Prime Minister Macdonald was rooting for Manitoba). Each incorporated the town in their province; put their own police force in Rat Portage; had their own jail (until a mob of 150 burned down the Manitoba jail while freeing an Ontario prisoner); magistrates; agencies and elected members of Parliament.

A map of Canada from 1867. | WIKIMEDIA

A newspaper report in July 1883 wrote about one crazy “Keystone Cops” scenario. “Dominion Commissioner McCabe with two policemen, Ontario Magistrate Burdon with twenty-five policemen, and Stipendiary Magistrate Brereton with fifteen policemen acting on behalf of Manitoba, have been arresting each other all day; and the people have been siding, some with one party and some with another, to the imminent danger of the peace and loss of life.”

(Detective Sergeant John Burchill, Winnipeg Police Service, The Rat Portage War).

Finally in 1884, the Rat Portage War was over when the Canada’s highest court, the Privy Council, ruled in favor of Ontario. However, it took until 1912 before the northern boundaries of today’s Manitoba and Ontario were finalized.

Today, Canada has 10 provinces and three territories; two official languages (English, French); has a population of 35.85 million (2015, World Bank); and recognizes the three founding nations of Canada as Aboriginal (Inuit, Métis and First Nations), French and British.

| WIKIMEDIA

Alexander Ramsey (1815-1903) was the first governor of Minnesota Territory, and the second Governor of State of Minnesota. | WIKIMEDIA

DISCOVERY CHARTERS

CampatMcVicarsCreek by William Armstrong (Thunder Bay, Ontario; Red River Expedition, July 1870). | TORONTO PUBLIC LIBRARY

Scottish-born, Sir John A. Macdonald (1815-1891) played a key role in the negotiations that led to the formation of Canada in 1867.

Where in the World is Daniel Greysolon?

By Eric Chandler

I’m fascinated by place names and I looked into the history of our town soon after we moved here. The first European to pass through here was named Daniel Greysolon, Sieur Du Lhut. Mangle his title of nobility to get Duluth and suddenly, my address on Greysolon Road made sense.

Fast-forward 15 years to August, 2016. My family planned to visit my parents in Maine. We saw a chance at some junior varsity international travel and decided to drive a rental car to Quebec City. Then, I had an idea: I wanted to check out Montreal, Greysolon’s launching point in the New World. It would only take an extra day and I thought I could find where he was buried.

The broad strokes about Greysolon are easy to figure out. He was born in France in 1639 and had the noble title of Sieur (Knight) Du Lhut. He served in the French Army. After the bloody battle of Seneffe in the Franco-Dutch War in 1674, he travelled to Montreal in New France. He went west from Montreal in the fall of 1678. The Anishinaabe called the site of present-day Duluth onigamiinsing or “at the little portage.” He portaged over Minnesota Point (near where the famous Aerial Lift Bridge now stands) on June 27, 1679. He famously recovered Father Louis Hennepin, who was held captive by one of the Sioux tribes and explored some of the country along the Mississippi River. He went all the way back to France in 1681 to defend himself in court from accusations that he was a renegade fur trader. He came back to Montreal in 1682. From 1683 until 1689, he helped strengthen and build forts from Thunder Bay to Michilimackinac to Fort St. Joseph. He spent the rest of his days primarily in

Montreal until he died of gout on the night of February 24, 1710.

Then, the all-powerful Internet let me down. It seemed simple: Drive to Montreal and find Greysolon’s final resting place. I learned that Greysolon was buried in the Church of the Recollets in 1710. I finally found a Church of the Recollets in Old Montreal. This part of the very heart of Montreal now only exists as lines on a map. Much of the current city was built over that old part of the town in the late 1800s. The Church of the Recollets was knocked down in 1867 to make way for the current building at the corner of Rue Notre-Dame and Rue Sainte-Helene. I found three historical plaques erected in Montreal about Daniel Greysolon. Another source led me to the address of the house where he died.

My adventurous family agreed to indulge their father with a walk to these four spots, finishing at the one-time resting place of Daniel Greysolon. So, we saddled up in a Ford Escape and drove north. The kids, feeling French, pronounced it, “Es-CAH-pay.”

We woke on a sunny, warm day in August and walked a clockwise path around Old Montreal, starting at the Place du Jacque Cartier. The first plaque we visited was on the side of an Italian restaurant, at the corner of Rue Saint-Paul and Rue Saint Charles. Because of my computer research, I knew that it was on the site of a stone home that Greysolon built. Ultimately, he sold the home and it became the site of a new, fancier home for the governor of New France, called the Chateau de Vaudreuil. You can infer from a couple sources that Greysolon built the original home around

Chandlers walk along Rue Saint Paul where Daniel Greysolon lived his last years and died in 1710. | ERIC CHANDLER

1675 to impress a young woman he was courting. But they broke up. Then, he left town for the west to become a coureur de bois (woods runner), less reputable than the later, licensed voyageurs. The things guys will do for a girl; and then do to forget a girl.

Then we walked along Rue Saint-Paul. One account of Greysolon’s last days said he died on the present site of 60 St. Paul Street. We stumbled around the middle of an intersection, looking more like tour-

ists than normal, until we finally agreed that there was no 60 St. Paul East. So, we walked down the picturesque street until we found an art gallery at 60 St. Paul West. Once again, the current gray, stone building was built in the 1800s. We had to imagine him in the bottom floor of a house on that site that he rented from Charles Delaunay, a tanner. One account said he had a nice view of the St. Lawrence River from one side and, from the city side, he could see the house he built and sold to

View of Montreal from Mount Royal. | ERIC CHANDLER

Governor Vaudreuil. It was hard to imagine the smaller, older Montreal without a time machine. Was that really the home where Greysolon died? Was there a 60 St. Paul East long ago and that was actually the spot?

We turned the corner onto Rue Saint Sulpice and we saw the towers of the Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal. Just across the street to the east of the basilica, we found the only plaque in Old Montreal

that specifically mentions Daniel Greysolon. It’s on the site where Greysolon rented a house in 1675, before he built his own stone home. The inscription in French translates as, “In 1675, Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut, gendarme of the King’s Guard, explorer and runner of the woods lived here and died in Montreal in 1710.”

We snapped a picture and then stood in the Place d’Armes square in front of the basilica. It was impressive. Normal people

probably would’ve paid to go inside the church where Celine Dion got married. Or been awed by the statue of Maissoneuve, the founder of Montreal. But not us. We had to find Greysolon.

Just a few blocks away, we reached our last landmark: the site of the Church of the Recollets where Greysolon was buried in 1710. I took a picture on that street corner at the intersection of Rue Notre-Dame and Rue Sainte-Helene. That whole city block used to be the church grounds. Old paintings and photos show an impressive building. After the English conquest of New France, the Anglicans used the church and then many other denominations did, until the church was torn down in 1867. The new building was essentially a department store. I had no idea if Greysolon was still there, somewhere underground, or if he’d been moved.

Plaque about a site where Daniel Greysolon built a house is attached to an Italian Restaurant in Montreal. | ERIC CHANDLER

plaque about the house of a former governor of New France, built on site of a home that Daniel Greysolon built. | ERIC CHANDLER

We drove away to the northeast toward Quebec City just a few hours later and I thought about our morning. It was possible we were the only people who ever tried to find Daniel Greysolon. I thought it was even more possible that we were the first and only Duluthians to ever make that pilgrimage and walk to those four spots in Old Montreal. I call that an adventure. My daughter gently corrected me and said that it’s more precise to call it a quest. Either way, I was pretty happy.

The feeling didn’t last. After several days in Quebec and returning to Maine, I felt like my quest failed. I started poking around the Internet again. I wrote to the Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery. They didn’t have him. They recommended next door at the Mount Royal Cemetery. They told me he wasn’t there.

I wrote to the Order of Franciscans in Quebec, since the Recollets are from that tradition. I did my best to use a little French in my emails and they did their best to use a little English. A woman named Claudette Vaillancourt, an archivist there, sent me a document in French that showed the details of the construction of the building over the church. And she said, “Yes, people were buried under the convent there.” A

[ABOVE] Plaque about the Chapel of the Recollets where Daniel Greysolon was buried in 1710. | ERIC CHANDLER

[LEFT] The former site of the Chapel of the Recollets, where Daniel Greysolon was buried in 1710. The current building replaced the church in 1866. | ERIC CHANDLER

victory, of sorts. But were they still there? Was Greysolon still there?

Then, finally, an answer came to one of the first questions I asked. Gary Schroder, president of the Quebec Family History Society said it was possible that his body remains where it was originally buried. So, maybe he was just a few yards away from where we stood on Rue Notre-Dame. Maybe he wasn’t. The real question is: Does it matter?

He ranged far and wide in the New World. A lifelong soldier and explorer that many sources claim should be more famous. Some writers remarked that he was modest. Maybe that hurt him in a world where showing off for royalty was required to make it big. He certainly didn’t earn a permanent gravesite.

The Marquis de Vaudreuil, the Governor of New France, gave this simple eulogy: “He was a very honest man.” That, and having a city named after you, might be better than a gravestone. Especially if the city is as cool as Duluth.

$185,000 CDN

6 Mercantile Lane, Nolalu, Ontario

Start your business in this lovingly-restored beautiful historic building beside the Whitefish River in the heart of Nolalu!

Both commercial and residential space within means you could live on site. Hardwood floors, commercial kitchen and cafe area, 1 bdroom, 3 bthrm, propane furnace. Space abounds to be creative with. Make this unique lifestyle yours. p 807.683.9871 c. 807.632.3635 www.sarahkerton.realtor

Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal. | ERIC CHANDLER

Northern Light Lake Ontario

Rustic 3 bedroom log home on an island on this clear water prime fishing lake. Access to both BWCAW and Quetico. Old growth red and white pines - $239,900 US Funds (Owner/Agent)

REAL ESTATE SALES

Woodland Foothills

New 2 bedroom home in convenient Lutsen location. Energy Star-stainless steel appliances Lake Superior and mountain views. Watch for Open House information, or call for showing today. $149,900

Beaver Bay, MN 55601

“The North Shore’s oldest settlement”

Windsong Cottages Townhome Association, individually owned Lake Superior Townhomes on 500’ of Lake Superior shoreline. Optional rental pool, City water & sewer, indoor pool and sauna, direct access to Gitchi-Gami bike trail and SHT, 11mi to Gooseberry, 8mi to Tettegouche and 5mi to Split Rock.A short walk to five different restaurants and many local shops.

Windsong #626

Beaver Bay MN, $299,900

4584150 3bd/3ba, 1840sf end unit

FOR SALE BY OWNER

Attractive, well-maintained 3BD, 3BA home. 2-story walk-out with 100’ of shoreline on the north shore of Devil Track Lake, 20 minutes from Grand Marais.

Electric heat on all levels, in-floor on lowest level, wood fireplace and stove. Vaulted ceilings, large screened windows, oak cabinets, doors, and stairways.

Large 3-season porch, lake-side deck, landscaped yard with fire pit. Includes: 2-car garage, fully-insulated 24' X 24' heated workshop, 10' X 16' storage barn. Maintenance free steel siding on house and workshop, maintenance free decking on dock sections. Property is close to the public landing and is on a paved road. Asking $425,000 Call for appointment 218-387-9172. e-mail: twoswans@boreal.org

Meander over the wilderness terrain to find the creek running in to Lake Superior along the east side of the property. Build ready with survey in place, lines flagged and SSTS soils approved. MLS#6028455 $299,900

COMFORTABLE AND CUTE MINT

DOWNTOWN LUTSEN BLOCK PARTY

LOG CABIN ON CARIBOU LAKE! Located on the quiet side of Caribou, this Gem of a home is just what the Doctor ordered for rest and relaxation! Excellent location to launch your kayak on to Caribou! MLS# 6028567 $425,000

MLS# 6027279

CABIN ON LOON LAKE! Peaceful living overlooking Loon Lake and the Wilderness! New stairway to the lake meanders through the woods…a great setting for this really nice and comfortable cabin with loft bedroom and Views that will Knock your socks off! It’s the perfect Tiny Home for your Gunflint Trail adventures! MLS#6028432 $211,000

Hwy 1 area Hunting Cabin on 10 ac MLS#2309318 $64,900

NEW! Whitetail Ridge Overlooking Lake Superior! Just off Highway 1, Enjoy Sprawling Lake and Ridgeline views and Rugged Terrain! Yr Round Access, Electric. MLS# 6024856 $110,000

30 acres Wilderness, Borders lands next to Little Manitou River! MLS#2309327 $129,000

Rocky Wall Overlooking Lake Superior just outside Silver Bay. MLS#2244646 $99,000

Rock Road in Silver Bay area! Great build site with creek frontage! MLS#2308638 $45,000

Lakeshore on Ninemile Lake at the Village, common water and septic, build ready, borders common land! MLS#2309096 $39,000 REDUCED!

NEW! Creek Frontage 8 acres off Little Marais Rd. Perfect spot to set up your Camp, driveway and cleared building area ready for you to enjoy! MLS#6028686 $19,900

Summertime on the Shore, Enjoy the Sunshine and Relaxation!

10 Ac Parcels of Maples! Rolling Terrain of Mature Maples to a Sweet Building site Perched Over a Mixed Boreal Forest. Year Round Access and Electric at Road!

MLS#2024250 $49,900 REDUCED!

DRAMATIC Mountain Top Views, Rolling Hills, Maple Forests fading in to Spruce and Pine and year round access. FROM $70,000 MLS#2090628

Sugarloaf Retreats on High Ridge Drive, Located a hop, skip and jump from Sugarloaf Cove on Lake Superior! Large parcel, with access to the Superior Hiking Trail! Yr Round access and electric to street! MLS#1598640 $36,200 SOLD!

LeVeaux Mountain, Super Views and Wildlife Ponds! MLS#2220050 $69,000

Just Up the Sawbill Trail Grab your little piece of the Northwoods, rolling terrain and small community feel with year round access, great build sites!

MLS#2070510 Prices from $24,900!!

Tofte vaag on the Sawbill, Nice Lake Views! Walk to the Coho, great location! FROM $49,900 MLS#1615956

Wowser Lake Superior views on Overlook Tr! MLS#2296509 $79,900

NEW! Maples with lots of Elbow Room, Year Round access and nice location between Cross River in Schroeder and Finland! MLS#6028422 $59,000

NEW! Wowser Lake Superior Views perched on LeVeaux Mountain in Tofte! Big Views, Great location minutes from Lutsen Mtn, BlueFin Bay. Must see land! MLS#6028132 $79,000

NEW! Holy Smokes! End of the Road bordering County land, Tofte. HUGE value with 2 lots sold for the price of one! Lots 6 & 7 Chester Blvd. Lake Superior views, quiet spot, walk to BlueFin Bay on Lake Superior! MLS#6028792 $49,900

NEW! 1046 Cramer Rd-Schroeder-40 ac with creek and tons of Maples! OMG it’s a beautiful parcel with high elevations and ravine like creek. Driveway is in! Minutes to Sugarloaf Cover Interpretive Center on Lake Superior! MLS#6028837 $98,000

Mature Spruce and BIG Lake Views! Walk to Blue Fin Bay, drilled well in place! MLS#2272174 $49,900

NEW! Nice parcel bordering USFS land, driveway roughed in, access to Tait Lk! MLS#6023412 $35,000

High Ground End of Cul de Sac borders Superior National Forest! MLS#6021436 $49,900

Woodland Foothills Build Ready lots, Shared Water & Community Septic from $19,000 MLS#2309328+

Heartland of Lutsen, 80 ac at the Foothills of Ski Hill ridge, near downtown Lutsen! MLS#2312987 $119,000

Over 15 ac of Wilderness on Turnagain Trail in Lutsen! MLS#2216560 $69,500

Prime Build Site(s) just off theCaribou at Jonvick Creek! MLS#2240533 $49,000

Gorgeous 5 acre parcels in the Heart of Lutsen paved Caribou Trail locale bordering USFS lands! MLS#2174799 From $54,900 - $77,500

Creek Build Site just off the Caribou Trail at Jonvick Creek! Rare and Unique Build site! MLS#2289515 $57,500

30 acres of Prime Wilderness Land with year round access and electric at street with Views of Lutsen’s famed Clara Lake! MLS#2080599 $137,500

NEW! Maple Leaf Trail at Jonvick, Maples Galore! Nice elevated build site. Yr Round access, electric. MLS#6024972 $49,000

“Sunset North” perched along the coveted Onion River Road this sweet 5 acre build site has a roughed in driveway and a nice mixture of trees. Super location for recreating! MLS#6027996 $57,500

Ridgetop Views Overlooking Caribou Lake! Tuck your home in to the Maple hillside in Lutsen, year round access. Super Location! MLS#6028429 $56,500

Tait Lake area, Backlot with small garage. Rugged beautiful forest, nice build sites. MLS#6027176 $54,500 PENDING

Tait Lake area, Legend Trail parcel bordering USFS lands with views of Wills and Williams Lake! MLS#6028619 $67,500

NEW! Hammer Road East of town! Expansive Lake Superior Views! Great Build Site at $49,900 MLS#6023586

Cty Rd 7 Murphy Mountain Lake View lands! Bargain Buys in young Poplar Forest, easy clearing for Sweet Lake Superior Views for as little as $39,900! Or Enjoy Hilltop Build Site with driveway in place. MLS#1599157 $79,900 REDUCED!

Lovely parcel

$69,000

NEW! Meander in to the Sawtooth Ridges where folks enjoy the peace and seclusion of the Wilderness! 20 acres off Victory Lane-Off Grid Living! MLS#6028471 $30,000

LAKE SUPERIOR AND INLAND LAKESHORE BUILD SITES!

JAW DROPPING LAKE SUPERIOR

Ready to build with long winding driveway to build site, surveyed. Defined build site with Huge Views!! Rare opportunity close to Grand Marais and within walking distance from the Croftville Road, very nice for walks. MLS#6022564 $325,000

DREAMY LAKE SUPERIOR . land and lakeshore! Several acres of privacy and way more than 200 ft of Level Access Lake Superior shoreline in Schroeder, near Sugarloaf Cove Naturalist Area!

MLS#2090420 $275,000

MAJESTIC WHITE PINES ON TAIT

LAKE SHORELINE! Lutsen’s favorite spot for quiet recreation, this deep lot has 200 ft of shoreline and 3++ acres! Yr round access, electric, only 20 minutes to Lutsen’s Ski Resort! Five minutes to BWCA! Untouched virgin forest, a beauty of a lot! Includes the lakeshore lot and the back lot for TONS of value! MLS#6025368 $209,900 PENDING!

PLENTY OF ELBOW ROOM ON LAKE

SUPERIOR! Nearly 800 ft of shoreline and 11 ac. of rolling terrain, with signs of the past logging roads and Spruce planted forests providing a sweet buffer from all of those pesky worries of the Real World! Driveway installed in to the mid-section of the land to allow you to explore which building site best fits your desires!

MLS#2309271 $799,000

LUTSEN LAKE SUPERIOR CASCADE

LAKESHORE 10+ ACRES BORDERING

SUPERIOR NATIONAL FOREST! in Lutsen, year round access with over 10 acres and 200 feet of shoreline! Hilltop building site with cleared path thru cedar forest to Christine Lake, a super wilderness lake great for paddling your days away! MLS#6023288 $99,900

PIKE LAKE SHORELINE, southern

BEACH RD LAND! Very accessible, build site close to the water, listen to the waves of Lake Superior lapping the rocky shoreline! Gorgeous morning sunrises over the Big Lake, a must see!

HEY HEY TAKE A LOOK AT THIS SUPER NICE CARIBOU LAKE BUILD SITE! The original cabin was recently removed, allowing for a nice “established feel” to this lot. Driveway in place, clearing done and electricity available!

MLS#2309132 $150,000 PENDING!

MLS#2308906 $299,000

SWEET CLARA LAKE SHORELINE! Level

Access from Build Site to Rocky Shores.Superior National Forest Lands! Electric, yr round access, Old Cabin in place to use now and build later!

MLS#1600179 $199,000

400 FT OF STUNNING LAKE SUPERIOR SHORELINE minute’s to the Cross River in Schroeder! Rolling terrain, nice Evergreen stand giving nice buffer from ANY highway noise. Worth the walk through the wilderness to see the AMAZING 400 ft of sprawling ledge rock shoreline!!

MLS#2313305 REDUCED! $450,000

END OF THE ROAD SPECTACULAR

HOVLAND

Homes & Cabins

Inland Lake Homes

Large Acreage

Inland Lake Lots

Tom Lake

245’ of shore on 1.2A. Shoreline has its own natural boat slip!!

MLS 6024080 $45,000

Year round access with 171’ shore. Nicely wooded, driveway in place and a cleared building site. Lot is surveyed and septic sites have been identified.

MLS 6027392 $59,900

Private 34+A and 600’ of shore. Property is surveyed and septic sites are identified. Will consider owner financing to a qualified buyer.

MLS 6028673 $149,900 New

Poplar Lake

Convenient mid-trail location with deeded lakeshore access. Building site cleared, driveway in, utilities available.

MLS 2158160 $52,500

.94A with 291’ of shore. Healthy mix of huge white pines, cedars & balsams. Cleared building site, electricity, phone & broadband available.

MLS 6028705 $169,900 New

Leo Lake

169’ shore, on 3.70A, mid trail location, with public access to other lakes nearby. MLS 6023878 $124,900

W Hwy 61 Great location and development opportunities right

County

$59,900 PENDING

North Rd 20A, very private, year round access. Power, phone and broadband available at the road!!

MLS 6024552 $39,900

Coyote Ridge Three 5A, private, beautifully wooded parcels close to town. Babbling, gurgling creek for your boundary.

MLS 6021224 $45,000 - $65,000

Rosebush Hill Lane Nicely wooded 5.40A with shared driveway only minutes from town. Identified septic sites and fully surveyed! Approx. 430’ of creek frontage. OWNER will consider a Contract for Deed!

MLS 6024624 $49,900

78 Squint Lake Rd 5A surrounded on 2 sides by government land. Convenient mid-trail location.

MLS 6020283 $62,900

Land

Railroad Drive 1.7A in the heart of Lutsen. Gently rolling topography, mature trees. Convenient location.

MLS 6023743 $49,900

Gunflint Trail 7.9A connected to the Pincushion Cross Country Ski Trail system with the Little Devil Track River flowing through.

MLS 2313364 $69,000

Broadway Ave Wonderful location, oversize lot is open to many opportunities for development and use.

MLS 6025787 $48,000

Co Rd 67 2.24A, year round access, directly abuts State Land to the east. Fully surveyed and well-built private driveway.

MLS 6024406 $39,900

Casper Hill Rd 19.6A just a few miles from town. Simple lean-to cabin to give you a head start on your get away.

MLS 6023494 $45,000

Stonegate Rd 2A on public portion of desirable Stone Gate Road with lots of potential uses. Power, phone, and broadband are a stone’s throw away. MLS 6022528 $19,900

County Rd 7 Oversize lot on Co Rd 7 but inside the city. The obvious benefits of broadband and other services. MLS 6028579 $65,000

Silver Fox Rd Two peaceful and quiet 5A pieces close to town with easements onto Federal land.

MLS 6025690 $39,900 - $69,900

Camp 20 Rd 28A located off of the Camp 20 Rd. Surveyed, septic sites have been identified and there is even a wetlands delineation!

MLS 6027375 $27,900

Caribou Trail Motivated Seller. Year round 20A surrounded by Federal land on 3 sides, has year round access, electricity and phone.

MLS 6028663 $139,900 NEW

274 County Rd 6 Conveniently located, just a few minutes from town. 2+A bordered by State land on 2 sides. Driveway is in, well is drilled.

MLS TBD $33,900 NEW

E Hwy 6110+A beautiful tree cover and magnificent rock out-croppings.Driveway to building site and septic holding tank installed.

MLS 6029042 $79,900 NEW

NEW! SPECTACULAR SEAGULL

LAKE. This framed-in home features BWCA views looking down Seagull Lake from high on a bluff. Septic mound is in place and rooms are roughed in. Finish to your taste, the frame is complete. Over 330’ shoreline! MLS# 6028863 $315,000

LARGE LOT PRIVACY – POPLAR LAKE. Dense mixed forest, great views, & classic wilderness shoreline make these two lots perfect for a Mid-Trail lake home. Choose 2 acres with 165’ shoreline, 3 acres with 200’ shoreline, or both! MLS# 6026287 $134,900, MLS# 6026286 $142,900, both for $245,000.

PRIVACY ON PIKE LAKE. Cozy north woods cabin secluded on almost 6 acres of dense cedar forest with adjoining forestry lands. One bdrm plus loft with plenty of space. Generator power, electric at road. Easy access to 300’ lakeshore and great views! MLS# 6026819 $239,900

EAST BEARSKIN LAKE HOME. Charming 2 bdrm cabin on 180 ft of E. Bearskin Lake. Federal lease property. Awesome views of the lake, level walk to the dock and shore. Includes utility shed, woodshed, aluminum canoe & boat. MLS# 6023139 $195,000 PRICE REDUCED!

LEVEL LOTS, NICE WOODS, EASY SHORE. These three Devil Track Lake lots have easy access from a county road, with power, phone, broadband and great building sites. South shore, 200 ft. frontage, great views. Build your home on the lake here. MLS# 6027317-6027319 $198,900 each

PRIME PIKE LAKE. Wilderness, woods and lakeshore. Pristine views of Superior Nat'l across the lake, towering white pine overhead. Virgin pine and cedar are unique here! The 252' frontage and 3 acres have gentle shore, crystal clear water and great privacy. Driveway and drilled well. Power and Broadband available. Fishing, wildlife and easy access to Lutsen or Grand Marais. MLS# 6028197 $192,500

A-FRAME ON POPLAR LAKE. Classic 2 bdrm, 2 bath A-Frame cabin in a beautiful setting overlooking Poplar Lake. End of the road privacy with year-round access. Very nice, gentle path to the 156’ of lake shore. Nice mix of trees. MLS# 6024438 $187,500

THREE PRIME PIKE LAKE LOTS. Three lake lots with wilderness, woods, and lakeshore are waiting for your dream lake home or cabin. Pristine views, towering white pine, +/- 200' accessible shoreline each with crystal clear water and great privacy. Good driveway in place, ideal location, power and broadband available. Four total lots can be purchased together at a discount. MLS# 6028199, 6028230-31 $179,900 ea.

NEW! BIRCH LAKE

CABIN. Two bedroom cabin plus charming log bunkhouse on 150 feet of shoreline. Comfortable accommodations for year-round recreational fun. Water, septic, generator power, small garage, large shed, dock platform. Very private, easy access to BWCA. MLS# 6028894 $179,900

AFFORDABLE CABIN ON CLEARWATER

LAKE. Cute 2 bdrm cabin on very special Clearwater Lake with 180’ frontage. Very affordable for up north cabin life. MLS# 6023119 $169,000

$169,900

SOLITUDE ON LOON LAKE. These 1-2 acre lots are located on the south side of Loon Lake and offer great lake views, 152-218’ beautiful shoreline and many nice trees. The main road is in place and power is on the lot line. MLS# 2093855, 2159458, 2309227, 2309228 $159,000 and up

CLASSIC POPLAR LAKE CABIN. Sweet, older 2 bdrm cabin on a bay of Poplar Lake with 100’ frontage. Great location! Charm in every room. Potentially a great vacation rental. MLS# 6023157 $154,500

SUPREME LAND, SUPREME WATER. Over 20 acres of amazing forest teamed with 300’ of awe-inspiring shoreline that rests at the southeast end of Tom Lake. MLS# 6023688 $130,000

& MLS #6021851 $69,000

NEW! TALK ABOUT WILDERNESS! Private, deep wilderness parcel. 17 acres includes almost 300’ frontage on Tucker Lake plus a section of Tucker River. Superior Nat’l Forest lands next door with BWCAW just across the lake. MLS# 6028852 $69,900

SNOWSHOE RUN LOTS. Set along a high ridge overlooking Hare Lake in a mature northern hardwood forest. Year-round plowed and maintained county roads, power at each property and a clear water trout lake. MLS# 60194906019496, 6019498 Lake lot prices start at $48,800 END OF THE ROAD PRIVACY ON TOM LAKE. This beautiful wooded lot has its own bay/cove. There is a long curved driveway to a nice cleared build site. MLS# 6021553 $47,500

CONDOMINIUMS

WELCOME TO LAKE SUPERIOR.

SUPERIOR LIVING ON THE LAKE. Gorgeous 2 bdrm, 2 bath condo with unobstructed Lake Superior views! This unit has had everything redone and replaced. Convenient location with access to many recreational opportunities. MLS# 6026577 $144,000 PRICE REDUCED!

A GEM IN THE WOODS.

There is quality and detail at every turn in this magnificent 2 bdrm, 2 bath home hidden on 30 acres in the Grand Portage State Forest. Marble stairs and floors, loft, master bath with hot tub & sauna, soaring cathedral ceilings, and 2000 sq ft attached garage. Not your typical home in the woods, this is a rare gem waiting for someone who loves the outdoors, but wants the class of an elegant home at the end of the day. MLS# 6022895 $575,000

MOUNTAIN TOP VIEWSLOG HOME. The ultimate wilderness retreat - 160 acres surrounded by gov't lands. No one will find you here! The log home is masterfully built and lovingly cared for. Solar power, well and septic. Super nice sauna building. Solitude awaits from this mountain-top retreat. MLS# 6027934 $524,900

HOMES & CABINS

SALE PENDING

EXTRAORDINARY

DUPLEX HOME IN LUTSEN. Beautifully maintained 4 bdrm, 2 bath home tucked into its own wooded wonderland. Welcoming, open and updated. Perennial gardens, apple trees, fire pit, and dog kennel/run in place. Trails on the 3 acre property connect to state trails for skiing and snowmobiling. MLS# 6024809 $259,900

TIMBER FRAMED LOG HOME OVERLOOKING

TOM LAKE. Charming log cabin on 78 acres with seasonal views of Tom Lake.

Large loft bedroom and covered porch with swing. Stone fireplace, hardwood floors, and metal roof. Year-round access. Furnishings and generator included. MLS# 6027412 $177,000

ADORABLE A-FRAME.

SALE PENDING

Genuine north woods feel! 3 bdrm, 2 bath house with 3 levels only a few minutes from Grand Marais. Large sunny kitchen includes an antique wood burning stove. Manicured lawn with pond and 9 acres, huge garage. MLS# 6028053 $259,000

NORTH SHORE RETREAT. A little one room cabin waiting for you to make it into something. 3.8 acres on the Lake Superior side of Hwy 61 with decent lake views; you'll feel the lake effect. The cabin is kind of rough, but maybe this is the

NEW! SECLUDED COUNTRY HOME - RURAL GRAND MARAIS. This singlelevel, well maintained 2 bdrm, 2 bath home sits on 24 acres with a huge pond as part of Woods Creek. Great yard with beautiful views of the pond. High maple ridge, adjoins federal land. Huge insulated garage, large covered porch. Minutes from Grand Marais. MLS# 6029005 $319,900

BEAUTIFUL HOME IN THE WOODS. Fantastic 3 bdrm, 2 bath cabin with sauna and bunkhouse. The 3.78 acres is surrounded by forest with Ninemile Lake across the road. Large kitchen/dining space, incredible master suite, upper level sunroom. Lots of room for guests! MLS# 6026570 $254,900 PRICE REDUCED!

and a beautiful river. The living quarters with 4 bdrms, 2 baths and open living space is located above a 6-stall horse barn. A large pole barn, huge gathering hall, garage and various storage sheds provide lots of sheltered space. Two wells and septic systems. Easy county road access. What's your idea? MLS# 6018972 $239,900 PRICE REDUCED! MANY OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN CASCADE STATE PARK. Enjoy being surrounded by and within the boundaries of Cascade State Park while taking in the amazing views of Lake Superior. This 3 bdrm, 2 bath home has been used as a successful vacation rental, a long-term rental and a primary residence. MLS# 2309172 $229,900

FANTASTIC GRAND

MARAIS HOME. This solidly built one-level home has 3 bdrms, 2 baths, and attached 2-car garage. Open layout, updated mechanicals, geo-thermal system, new septic, and private wooded back yard with creek. Adjacent lot (MLS# 6022810) also for sale. MLS# 6022803 $199,000

COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES

COMMERCIAL LOTS IN LUTSEN. Great visibility, nice forest, lake view, and creek. Hwy 61 frontage. Third lot to north is zoned Residential. Bring your business idea! Rare commercial site in downtown Lutsen. Old blacksmith building collapsed on Lot 1. MLS# 6027064 $179,000

COMMERCIAL LOT IN GRAND MARAIS. Good opportunity for a commercial building with a nice second story view of the harbor. Level 40 x 50 lot. A two story vacation rental could be built with a harbor view. What is your dream? MLS# 6024992 $53,500

RIVER/CREEK FRONTAGE

NEW! HOME ON DEVIL TRACK RIVER. Beautiful, energy efficient 2 bdrm, 2 bath home with panoramic river valley views. Private, forested setting with 495' frontage. Open concept main floor with vaulted ceilings. Huge deck, detatched garage and pole barn. MLS# 6028358 $289,900

LARGE TRACT WITH CREEK. This 319 acre parcel has ponds & creek frontage on the Flute Reed River. Has been in DNR management program. Great for hunting or homesteading. Access is by unimproved easement from the Camp 20 Road, near county maintenance. The land may be split - take your pick of "40's"! MLS# 6027384 $258,000

SUGARBUSH, BEAVER, TROUT. Remote 80 acres ,10 miles from Grand Marais with easy access. Surrounded by public land. 700’ of Durfee Creek frontage. MLS# 6024638 $149,000

WOODS, WATER & SECLUSION.Three 40 acre lots with 600 to 1000 ft frontage on Mons Creek. Also includes deeded access to Lost Lake. Private and secluded. MLS# 6021356 $59,900 or MLS# 6021357 $69,900 or MLS# 6021358 $74,900.

SALE

PENDING

LAND ON THE FLUTE REED RIVER. Enjoy privacy and seclusion in a deep 13 acre parcel with over 300 feet of trout stream in Hovland. Easy access with power, phone and broadband. Nice build sites. MLS# 2313215 $49,900

500’ ON MOHNS CREEK. Mixed topography of beautiful rolling land with many great build sites on 25 acres. Old growth cedar, spruce, pine and birch. Abuts state land. MLS# 6021088 $39,900

LAND/BUILDING SITES

100+ ACRES NEAR GRAND MARAIS. Great location for a home or recreational property just minutes from Grand Marais. Rolling land with creek, borders thousands of acres of federal and state lands. Great investment and subdivision project. Power at road. Seller willing to subdivide. MLS# 6027269 $282,900

LOCATION, VIEWS, PRIVACY - 80 ACRES. This former homesteaders property has it all: rolling topography, ravines, grassy meadows, mature timber, flowing creek and expansive Lake Superior views! Minutes from Grand Marais, adjoins USFS land. MLS# 6027073 $279,000

HOME SITE OR BUSINESS DREAM. This 13.4 acre property could be a great home site or resort-type business location. Adjoins Pincushion Mtn. hiking/skiing/biking trails. Lake Superior view with more land available. Zoned Resort/Commercial. MLS# 6026068 $214,900

LARGE WILDERNESS ACREAGE - LAKE ACCESS. This 80+ acre parcel includes 400 feet of shoreline on McFarland Lake. Building sites are located across the road on the hillside with potential lake views. Rugged property with high topography and old growth cedar and pine. Easy access to the BWCAW and Border Route Hiking Trail. MLS# 6024602 $ 193,000 PRICE REDUCED!

OUTSTANDING LAKE SUPERIOR VIEWS Gorgeous 14.69 acre parcel located within the boundaries of Cascade State park. Rolling hills, a variety of trees, and only 10 minutes from either Grand Marais or Lutsen. Many opportunities, potential for subdivision. MLS# 6023971 $175,000

MOUNTAIN TOP - WILDERNESS VIEWS. Fantastic vistas into the BWCA and surrounding rugged topography near McFarland Lake. Located at the end of the Arrowhead Trail with easy year-round access. The 122 acres has a high ridge and a “mountain top” for you to name. MLS# 6024599 $157,000 PRICE REDUCED!

INCREASINGLY RARE, LARGE RECREATIONAL PARCEL. 190 arces fully surveyed. The perfect retreat. Has a rich variety of trees, ponds, high and low lands, some meadow land and wetlands. MLS# 6023211 $150,000

BEAUTIFUL ACREAGE WITH LAKE VIEWS. Four 80 acre parcels located just south of Schroeder and a stone’s throw from Lake Superior! Each parcel features shared access off State Highway 61. The land features a gradual elevation, tiered building sites, beautiful lake views, and the Caribou River is within walking distance. MLS #6020335, #6021914, #6021916, and #6021918 $149,900 each. LARGE ACREAGE WITH WATER FEATURES. The headwaters of Irish Creek! Quality 160+ acres, 5 parcels sold grouped or separately. Many great features incl. old growth white pine, ponds, camping and building areas. MLS# 6023457 $149,500

BIG LAND NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR. Four 80 acre parcels located south of Schroeder off Highway 61 with shared access and approved septic sites. Mix of trees, gradual elevation, nice build sites and lake view. MLS# 6027841, 6027843, 6027844, 6027845 $139,900 each

INTRIGUING PROSPECT. High-quality items already in place include an insulated/heated slab for house/porch, insulated garage slab, electricity, driveway, the well, a time-dosed/heated septic system. Over 18 acres of privacy. MLS# 6021384 $114,900

LARGE ACREAGE NEAR TOM LAKE. 128 acres with good road access and an easy walk to the Tom Lake boat landing. Year-round road, power is possible here. The 3 forties may be split - take your pick. MLS# 6027383 $111,000

UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY. Stunning Little Devil Track River frontage and Pincushion Mtn. trail access make this 6.3 acre property perfect for skiers, hikers and mtn bikers. Zoned Resort/Commercial. MLS# 6026067 $103,900

HUGE POND-HUGE PRIVACY. Large 45+ acre wooded parcel located across from Tom Lake. Huge pond/lake in the very center of the acreage. MLS# 6022858 $99,000

GREAT LOCATION FOR YOUR HOME. Convenient 7.5 acres located just 5 miles from Grand Marais on a Co Rd 7 blacktop, with some lake views, good building sites, driveway and a tiny cabin set up for your camp outs until you build. MLS# 6027933 $84,900

NEW! LAND NEAR WILSON LAKE. A special piece of the Northwoods – 16 acres with deeded access to Wilson Lake! USA-owned forest is your backyard. Driveway, electric, and a small bunkhouse/shed are in place. Build your North Shore haven! MLS# 6028685 $80,000

UNIQUE 20 ACRES IN SCHROEDER. Beautiful property with driveway and building pad in place. Interesting mix of trees & topography. Stunning views of ridge lines and valleys. Quite a place to explore and see something new every time! MLS# 6027299 $69,000

RUSTICATE, RECREATE, RELAX. Reclusive Hovland hideaway – 43 acres with new driveway to “base camp” with a nice camper trailer and shed. Trails have been cut throughout the property which adjoins State land. MLS# 2313223 $64,900

GREAT LOCATION, QUALITY FOREST, BUILD HERE. These 10-acre parcels have a mature and mixed forest, southerly exposure, easy county road frontage and just minutes from Grand Marais. MLS# 6023274 $64,900, MLS# 6023275 $62,900, MLS# 6023276 $64,900

MAPLE HILL - HOME SITE. Heavily wooded 6.45 acre parcel with great privacy, county rd frontage, power and phone. MLS# 6023465 $64,500 RIDGES, PINES & VIEWS - ARROWHEAD TRAIL. Nice 20 acre parcel with high building sites and huge pines. The surrounding federal land leads directly into the BWCAW. MLS# 6024600 $61,000 PRICE REDUCED!

NEW! NICE HOME SITE NEAR GRAND MARAIS. Nice elevation and views from this 6.75 acre lot off of County Rd 6 just minutes from town. Frontage on Little Devil Track River, with lowland and highlands. Nice forest and privacy for your home or cabin in the woods. MLS# 6027581 $59,900

RUSTIC WOODED WONDERLAND Beautiful 40 acres of maple forest with small rustic cabin bordering Judge Magney State Park. Enjoy the peaceful solitude of Aide Lake, rimmed by an open cedar grove just a short hike from the cabin into the park. MLS# 6025235 $59,900

WOODED HOME SITE This 5+ acre parcel is only 1.5 miles from Grand Marais and ready for your country home. Mixed forest, with forest service land in the back for exploring or hunting. A driveway and culvert are already in place. MLS# 6026053 $59,000

NICE LOT NEAR GRAND MARAIS. Beautiful gardens currently inhabit this lovely lot. Though it rests on Hwy 61 there are nice private niches to rest your home on. Walk to downtown Grand Marais! MLS# 6022810 $55,000

SALE PENDING

DENSE EVERGREEN FOREST NEAR GRAND MARAIS. Beautiful 5.8 acre property ready for your home plans, with survey and septic sites located, and many good building sites. Heavy trees and open areas. Easy county road frontage with power and Broadband close by. MLS# 6025992 $52,900 PERFECT 5 ACRE HOME SITE. This private and secluded build site is just waiting for your custom plans! Only five miles from town with five acres of great woods bordering public land on two sides. MLS# 6028922 $51,500

30 ACRES - PANORAMIC VIEWS. Rare mountain top property with a 180 degree view of distant Lake Superior and the ridge to the north. Many trails in place with food plots for wildlife. MLS# 6020274 $49,500 LAND FOR FUN OR HOMESTEADING. Heavily wooded 39 acres with a large variety of trees and easy road access on Camp 20 Rd. Southern exposure great for solar set up. The Superior Hiking Trail is steps away. Close to county maintained road. MLS# 6027896 $48,900

BUILDING SITE OVERLOOKING MCFARLAND LAKE. This pine studded 7 acre property has easy walking access to the county beach on McFarland Lake. Nice elevated build site with easy county road access. MLS# 6024601 $45,000 PRICE REDUCED!

WOODED 10 ACRES IN HOVLAND. North woods seclusion plus electricity and broadband! Great forested parcel. The driveway is in leading to a secluded build site with nice trees. Cute shower house and outhouse. MLS# 6024396 $42,900 PRICE REDUCED!

WOODED ACREAGE – GM. Two private 20 acre lots with hiking and ski trails, and abundant wildlife. A high building site offers seasonal views of Lake Superior. MLS# 2313172 $46,000 & MLS# 2313173 $35,000

5 ACRES NEAR DEVIL TRACK LAKE. Must look! 5 acres in a diverse forest on the paved South Shore Drive. Private yet easily accessible. Lot borders forest service land. Driveway is in, septic sites identified. Ready for your plans! MLS# 6025167 $45,000

POWERS LAKE ROAD PARCEL. This is the beautiful ‘40’ that you have been waiting for. Easy access off Powers Lake Road with electricity and broadband. This is a fine opportunity for the person seeking a remote retreat with some modern amenities. MLS# 6027426 $44,900

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS. Nice 6 acre parcel of mixed forest land only 6 miles from Grand Marais! Shared driveway is in, transformer on the property. MLS# 6024077 $39,900 QUIET AND PRIVATE. Choice 2.31 acre lot at the end of the road in Lutsen, ready to build. Priced to sell! MLS# 2309202 $39,500

5 ACRES NEAR CARIBOU LAKE. Gorgeous corner lot with colorful maples and majestic cedars. Plenty of privacy. Close to hiking trails and the Caribou Lake boat landing. Year round access with power! MLS# 2279179 $35,000

LAND FOR ESCAPE AND RECREATION. Remote yet accessible 20 acres near Judge Magney State Park. Good mix of trees, high building site, some distant Lake Superior views. MLS# 6025397 $34,900

FIVE SECLUDED ACRES. One of eight secluded wooded 5-acre parcels bordering Govt. land. MLS# 2308827 $28,000

WILDWOOD ACRES IN TOFTE. Consider these affordable lots when you want to build economically in Cook County! Nice wooded +/- acre lots. MLS# 6025292-6025294 $17,500 – $20,000

PRIVATE HOME SITE CLOSE TO SUPERIOR. Very nice parcel with driveway, power and cleared building site. Privacy on dead end road near Silver Bay. MLS# 6023748 $19,900

391 Gunflint Narrows

Historic Lutsen Lockport sites

Great Lutsen location tucked up behind the Lutsen general business district, yet private with 5+ acre lots. This is a very nice opportunity. Buy and build today, or hold for the future.

Lot 1 Steam Engine Road 5.03 acres MLS 6028102 $39,000

Lot 2 Steam Engine Road 6.54 acres MLS 6028107 $45,000

Lot 4 Steam Engine Road 5.01 acres MLS 6028110 $39,000

Lot 5 Steam Engine Road 5.31 acres MLS 6028108 $39,000

Lot 6 Steam Engine Road 5.16 acres MLS 6028111 $39,000

Jonvick Creek Sites in Lutsen.

Beautiful build sites at Jonvick.Power and broadband curbside. Great Lutsen location just offCaribou Trail. Convenient to everything, yet private. Great Pricing.

51 Moose Ridge Road

Lutsen Resort – Log Cabin #403

CATCHLIGHT CATCHLIGHT

Fox kits

I

had heard about a fox den along Hwy 2 in Lake County and drove down to photograph the kits. One of the kits was red, but these two kits were cross fox, which is a morph phase of the red fox, so they had this darker color. They almost looked like baby fisher or bear instead of fox kits. — Paul Sundberg

With over 250 acres of fun and ac tivities, there’s something for the entire family! From awardwinning historic programs, concer ts & festivals, to a science centre with an astronomical obser vator y – there’s so much to see and do! an overnight stay