Fort Frances, Ont., and International Falls, Minn., residents link at border crossing in show of unity

Mary Watters says she feels at home on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border, but this wasn't always the case.

Born in Duluth, Minn., she moved to Fort Frances, Ont., at age six and spent much of her childhood in the northwestern Ontario community.

"I went to high school in [International] Falls and my Fort Frances friends called me 'traitor' and my international new-to-be friends called me 'Canuck' — and so I was a teenager without a country for a while," said Watters, who has since settled in nearby Koochiching County, Minn.

In a time where many are feeling divided amid the escalating Canada-U.S. trade war, Watters came up with an idea to bring people together.

On Saturday, about 150 people gathered on the International Falls Bridge. They shook hands, hugged, and linked up to form a line that spanned across both countries. 

"These two communities, we're out on the edge of each other's country in the middle of nowhere, so we are really tight," said Watters. 

Bracing subzero temperatures, Canadians and Americans collectively sang "We Are Family," a song Watters says speaks to the close ties between the border towns.

"There's so much intermarriage. There are so many friends back and forth, people who work together back and forth," she said. "It was about extending goodwill and having a feel-good [moment]."

Watters said border staff on both sides were co-operative during the event, which was partially inspired by similar gatherings between Windsor and Detroit.

"I felt home on that bridge where we all stood," she said.

'We have such a strong connection'

Mary Ann Woods Kasich used social media to help spread the word about the weekend's event. Years ago, the Ranier, Minn., resident sold advertisements in Fort Frances and became involved in the Fort Frances Rotary Club and Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce, she explained.

Days after 9/11, she helped organize a run between both countries, where participants took a boat back to Ranier.

"Every year on July 1, we enjoy the Canadian fireworks on the waterfront in Ranier and celebrate," Woods Kasich told CBC News. "The Americans on this side gather in Ranier or boat down to the historic Cantilever bridge for the fireworks."

"My point is historically, we have such a strong connection with our Canadian friends. It enlarges all our world on both sides 100 per cent!"

From 9/11 to the COVID-19 pandemic, Watters said, Fort Frances and International Falls have both gone through similar challenges as border towns.

In times like these, she said she wants people to remember their similarities instead of differences.

"I just want the love to ripple out, and I think it will."