Emerson is an unincorporated community recognized as a local urban district (LUD) in south central Manitoba, Canada, located within the Municipality of Emerson – Franklin. It has a population of 660 as of the 2021 Canada census.

Location and transportation

Emerson is 96 kilometres south of Winnipeg along the Red River, just north of the United States border at the point where the province of Manitoba and states of Minnesota and North Dakota meet. Being in the far southwestern corner of municipality, the LUD shares borders with the Rural Municipality of Montcalm in Manitoba, Pembina County in North Dakota, and Kittson County in Minnesota. The towns of St. Vincent, Minnesota, and Pembina, North Dakota, are just a few kilometres south of the border in the United States. The unincorporated community of Noyes, Minnesota, lies immediately across the border from Emerson; however, the border crossing between the two is now closed.

The principal roads serving Emerson are Highway 75 and Provincial Road 200, which run north to Winnipeg along either side of the Red River.

Highway 75 at Emerson was being redeveloped in order to accommodate expansion of the Emerson port of entry. As part of this project, Emerson's access to Highway 75 was moved north of the former junction (removed in 2019).

Emerson port of entry

<!--thumb|left|Highways 75 and 200 at Emerson, current and original configurations-->

The border crossing at Emerson, Manitoba, and Pembina, North Dakota, is the fifth-busiest along the Canada–United States border, and the second-busiest west of the Great Lakes. It is part of a large trade corridor that links the Canadian prairies with the United States and Mexico. Annual cross-border trade is valued at over &nbsp;billion. The ports of entry on both sides are open 24 hours and offer full border services. An estimated one million people pass through the border crossing each year.

For many years, Emerson was among very few communities in Canada to have multiple border crossings. It was serviced by the current port of entry, originally designated as West Lynne, and the now-closed Emerson East port of entry opposite Noyes, Minnesota. In its original configuration, Highway 75 ended at the Emerson East crossing, the busier of the two crossings during the early and mid parts of the 20th century, where it continued south as U.S. Route 75. Travellers wishing to enter North Dakota turned south onto a short road leading to the border (later designated Highway 29) which continued into North Dakota as U.S. Route 81. The importance of the Emerson East crossing declined after Interstate 29 superseded U.S. 81 in 1957 and subsequent realignment of Highways 75 and 29 to serve the West Lynne–Pembina crossing. Dwindling use of the Emerson East port of entry prompted the Canadian government to close the border station in June 2003. The American government closed the Noyes port of entry three years later.

South of Emerson, the Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) railways cross the border. The CN line meets the BNSF Railway, and CPKC continues along the former Soo Line Railroad. There are customs inspection facilities for both lines on either side of the border.

After the passage of Donald Trump's Executive Order 13769 in 2017, Emerson saw a large influx of immigrants walking across the border to apply for asylum. Many of them found assistance with the Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council. In 2018, Member of Parliament for the Liberal Party of Canada Pablo Rodriguez began a series of visits to immigrant communities, warning potential border crossers that those who do not qualify for refugee status could be returned to their countries of origin rather than the United States. A migrant family of four Indian nationals froze to death in January 2022 on the northern side of the US-Canada border.

History

thumb|left|Courthouse and former town hall, built in 1917

In 1873, American businessmen Thomas Carney and William Fairbanks, following advice from railroad entrepreneur James J. Hill, received a grant from the province of Manitoba for along the east side of the Red River near the Canada–United States border. Hill had advised Carney and Fairbanks that the area had significant potential to become a railway hub for the region. The existing settlement of West Lynne on the west side of the river had already established itself as a key point along the trading routes between Winnipeg and St. Paul, Minnesota. With the emergence of railways during this time, the addition of their own railway would bring great economic prosperity.

In 1874, the two men led a group of 100 who formed the new settlement of Emerson, which was named after writer and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson. With the promise that Emerson could be the new "gateway to the west", the settlement grew quickly and, by 1876, a church and a school were built.

Today, Emerson has a population just under 700. The community still attracts many visitors each year who pass through the Port of Entry at Emerson. There are still some landmarks remaining from Emerson's "golden age", such as the courthouse, jail, and home of William Fairbanks, as well as the West Lynne post office and original customs house. The courthouse, which is designated as a historical landmark, is still in use today.

A post office, telegraph station, and customs house were soon constructed at West Lynne, making it a key point along the Red River trade routes for both river and land traffic.

Fort Dufferin is best known as the starting point for the North-West Mounted Police's March West in 1874. This marked the only time the entire force was ever assembled at one place.

Today, the Fort Dufferin site is owned by the province of Manitoba. A cairn and plaque mark the historic site, which is open to the public during the summer.

Demographics

In 1891, the town of Emerson had a population of 660. In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Emerson had a population of 660 living in 294 of its 321 total private dwellings, a change of −2.7% from its 2016 population of 678. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.

Government

Emerson is located at the far southwest corner of the federal riding of Provencher, which is represented by Ted Falk. At the provincial level, the community is represented by Josh Guenter, MLA for the Borderland riding.

Community services

The community's education needs are served by Emerson Elementary School (Kindergarten to Grade 8) and Roseau Valley School (Grades 9–12) in nearby Dominion City. Recreational facilities include an indoor skating rink, curling rink, public golf course, swimming pool, and park. Emerson is also served by a local RCMP detachment and volunteer fire department.

Climate

Emerson experiences a humid continental climate (Dfb), and a Plant Hardiness of zone 3b. Along with St. Albans, Emerson holds the record for Manitoba's highest temperature of on 12 July 1936, during the 1936 North American heat wave. The coldest temperature ever recorded was on 9 February 1899.

|date=May 2016

Media

  • 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 (Hope TV, religious) Winnipeg

== See also ==<!-- PLEASE RESPECT ALPHABETICAL ORDER -->

  • Emerson (electoral district)
  • List of Canada–United States border crossings
  • Noyes, Minnesota
  • Pembina, North Dakota

References