Grand Forks - The Other City on the Red River

Saturday, January 26th, 2008
By Ron Pradinuk, Ask Journeys

In 1900 the merchants of Grand Forks organized the first Winnipeg Day to attract cross-border visitors to this young, but growing, city. Today, as the Canadian dollar flirts with parity with its U.S. counterpart for the first time in decades, no chamber of commerce is required to create convoys of Manitoba vehicles to this other city on the Forks, only two hours from Winnipeg. Questions about the ins and outs, and ups and downs of cross-border shopping are often on the minds of price conscious Manitobans.

Q. Having never had the experience of going to Grand Forks, which, however close, is still in a foreign country, I am wondering how different it is?

A. When one crosses a foreign border it is reasonable to expect any number of significant differences from the place you live and work. And even though it is a city relatively close to us, we might think it would take some time to enter a comfort zone of familiarity. But the steady stream of Manitoba license plates, familiar brand names like Sears, Wal-Mart, McDonald's, and especially the stylized Canadian maple leaf sign of the Canad Inns Destination Centre you see approaching the city, all make it seem at first, like you have never left home. However, less familiar names to our market, like JC Penney, Macy's, and of course Target (or "Tar-jaay" as Canadians like to call it) are the differences you will encounter early as well.

Q. Can you really save a lot of money by going south considering hotel, gas, and food costs?

A. I think for many, it is the weekend away as much as the savings. Walking into any major department store, you are immediately faced with thousands of options. Each product has a number of choices in style and brand, known and unknown. Unless you have actively been looking for a toaster at home, it is hard to remember what prices actually were there in order to make an intelligent comparison. So bargains suddenly appear to be in the eyes of the beholder. Retail professionals design lighting, aisles, and placement of products in the aisles for maximum appeal. Like hypnotists, they are able to put us into a shopping trance, so that before you know it the shopping cart has filled itself, until suddenly, we face the sobering experience of the checkout counter. "Do we really need this? I didn't even try these on... I hope they fit! That was a great bargain, but maybe we'll return this tomorrow."

This mixture of self-satisfaction and buyer regret can be experienced anytime, but it is amplified many times over when you have switched from kilometres to miles, from litres back to gallons, and when 70 degrees Fahrenheit seems much hotter around the collar than 21 degrees Celsius. We went on one of these cross-border excursions a few weeks ago. As we added up our purchases, including all those items which supposedly could be reported without penalty over and above our allowance, as we prepared to return home, we were surprised to find we were still under our limit. We had picked up a really nice antique rocking chair that would not have been easy to find at home. Many of the items which we found on sale seemed to be less expensive, but it really was hard to tell for certain. Nevertheless, the weekend escape across the 49th parallel felt like a mini-holiday, albeit not all that restful given the drive to explore and buy.

Q. Are there lots of good places to stay and play in Grand Forks?

A. Shopping, dining and entertainment! These are the ingredients that are the mainstay for most vacations, long or short. And while it is the vision of re-entering Canada with a carload of bargain price valuables which may often motivate us to make the journey, it is the food, wine, and the time you spend resting in your accommodation that are equally important. It was with a significant sense of Manitoba pride to note what Leo Ledohowski, the erstwhile leader of the Canad Inns chain, had created in Grand Forks in his first out-of-Canada foray. Venues like Tavern United, Splasher's and Playmakers, which he tested in Winnipeg, were enhanced and perfected for Grand Forks. The water park itself attracts hundreds of out-of-town guests and Grand Forks families alike on a weekly basis. The tavern has become a meeting hub for the young of the city, and 'l Bistro, not currently in any Canadian outlet, is one of the really good additions in the area. We also found a great breakfast place called Gramma Butterworks on the way downtown. And Sanders, a Grand Forks institution, proved to be an excellent dining choice.

Ron Pradinuk is President of Journeys Travel & Leisure SuperCentre and can be heard Sundays at noon on CJOB. Previous columns and tips can be found on www.journeystravel.ca.
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