Noyes Border Crossing, Minnesota

The westernmost border crossing in Minnesota, Noyes, next to the town of Emerson, Manitoba, was closed in 2006, and the old brick Port of Entry on the USA side was still listed for sale, in 2014. The Canadian Port of Entry was closed in 2003, and simply sits, empty. For decades, Noyes was a substantial border crossing, due south of Winnipeg, less than 60 miles away. Crossing slowed after the construction of Interstate 29, just over the state line in North Dakota, and other improvements and expansions to the Port of Entry there. Without the border traffic, the small town on the USA side of the crossing is now isolated, its few businesses closed. This is the west end of the 547 miles of Minnesota’s boundary with Canada. Next to Noyes is the Red River, which separates Minnesota from North Dakota, and the old crossing at Noyes from the new one at Pembina. The river flows northward into Canada, and controlling its flow is an international issue, sometimes leading to conflict, since water management on the USA side can cause floods to occur in Canada. Winnipeg built a massive channel to route the river around the city, if necessary. In 2011, the town of Pembina was surrounded by flood water, like an island, and the raised bed of the Interstate was a dry line connecting the town to the Port of Entry, also built on raised ground, surrounded by levees.