Emerson, Manitoba

Emerson is a town in south central Manitoba, Canada, population 655. The town is named after writer Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Emerson is located on the east bank of the Red River, just north of the border with the United States at the point where Manitoba, Minnesota, and North Dakota meet. It was early an important railroad and border-crossing town. Just south of Emerson, two major U.S. rail lines, the Great Northern (now the BNSF) and the former Soo Line cross the border and are met, respectively, by the Canadian National and Canadian Pacific railways. There are customs inspection facilities for both lines on both sides of the border.

Traffic crossing the border into Canada must pass through Customs at Interstate 29/Highway 29 on the west side of the river. It is the largest border crossing between Interstate 5 in Washington-British Columbia and the Bluewater Bridge in Michigan-Ontario. Traffic entering the United States may take the same route 24 hours a day or may enter at Highway 75 on the east side of the river during shorter hours. This asymmetry is caused by the ability of Canada to close customs houses administratively, while U.S. customs houses can only be closed by act of the United States Congress. Northbound traffic on U.S. 75 must divert via Minnesota State Highway 171 to Pembina, North Dakota and join I-29.

U.S. Route 75, which becomes Highway 75 at the border, was once the principal road, and the road on the North Dakota side was the secondary road, even for several years after being built into I-29. At the junction of Highways 75 and 29 just west of Emerson, the Highway 29 traffic had to stop and make a 90 degree turn onto Highway 75. Around 1985, Manitoba redesigned the intersection so that Highway 29 was the primary route. Highway 29 traffic now heads straight onto northbound Highway 75, while Highway 75 traffic coming from Emerson has to stop and then make a 90 degree turn either to continue on northbound Highway 75 or to go south on Highway 29 to the border. As of 2006, one can still see on Google Earth the remnants of old Highway 75 as it went west from today's interchange and then made a curve to the north to join with the existing road. As a result of this change (and the eventual closure of the customs house on Highway 75), there is much less traffic in the main part of Emerson than there once was, and Noyes, Minnesota, just south of Emerson, has become something of a ghost town.

From around 1936 to 1956, Emerson obtained its power across the US / Canada border from a long 2400V distribution circuit originating from Pembina, ND (and which line passed through St. Vincent, MN and Noyes, MN on the way). This line was initially operated by the Interstate Power Company and was sold to the Otter Tail Power Company in 1944. In 1956, the Town of Emerson made arrangements to obtain its electrical needs from Manitoba Hydro and the cross-border distribution line was removed.

The town's education needs are served by Emerson Elementary (K-8) and Roseau Valley School in nearby Dominion City.

The side of town west of the river was originally known as West Lynne.

In February 2005, the town made headlines when American Charles Gonsoulin was seen roaming the town in sub-zero weather in a quest for his Internet girlfriend.

Local media

Television

* KGFE Channel 2 (PBS) Grand Forks, North Dakota
* CBWT Channel 6 (CBC) Winnipeg
* CKY Channel 7 (CTV) Winnipeg
* WDAZ Channel 8 (ABC) Grand Forks, North Dakota
* CKND Channel 9 (Global) Winnipeg
* KNRR Channel 12 (FOX) Pembina, North Dakota
* CIIT Channel 35 (Omni) Winnipeg
* K58BP Channel 58 (CBS) Glasston, North Dakota (KXJB Tv4 Fargo translator)

Neighbouring communities

	North: St. Jean Baptiste
West: Altona	Emerson	East: Ridgeville
	South: Pembina

External links

* [http://www.townofemerson.com/ Emerson website]
* [http://www.communityprofiles.mb.ca/cgi-bin/csd/index.cgi?id=4603033 Town of Emerson Community Profile]