Although they can’t meet in person, Traci, who is from Thunder Bay, and Joshua, who now lives in Grand Marais, talk to each other across the narrow gap at the middle falls of the Pigeon River. It’s a tough way to date, but so far the couple have been making it work for them. Photos courtesy of Joshua McCormick
Joshua McCormick moved from Ham Lake, Minnesota, to Cook County to become the pharmacy tech at the new Sawtooth Mountain Clinic pharmacy, whose doors will soon be open to the public.
“I’m in training now,” said Joshua, who left a job in Wyoming, Minnesota, where he also served as a pharmacy tech.
But that wasn’t the only reason he moved five hours north.
“The primary reason for his move was not to live closer to his big brother,” said Jake McCormick, the pastor at Mount Rose Community Church in Grand Portage.
No, the primary reason for Joshua’s move was to be closer to his girlfriend, Traci, who lives in Thunder Bay. The couple met online in August 2019, with the couple meeting in-person for the first time in Duluth in October 2019. Road trips back and forth continued until the border closed, which could have been the end of their relationship. Their last in-person date was March 15, and then the border was closed to slow the spread of COVID-19 between the two countries.
Joshua McCormick is anchored in the lower Pigeon River on the American side so he can talk to his girlfriend, Traci, who lives on the Canadian side of the river. COVID-19 restrictions set up by both countries make it very difficult for residents of either country to cross the border.
For many couples, that would have been time to sign off on Facebook and say goodbye. But for this dedicated couple, this was time to get creative.
Throughout the summer, Joshua would visit Jake. They would take Jake’s boat up the Pigeon River (remaining a safe distance from the Canadian shoreline), calling border patrol before the visit to get permission to chat from the water.
When it wasn’t possible to use the lower Pigeon River, Joshua would hike the one and half miles into Middle Falls, where the river is very narrow, and when the water was down (and they could hear each other), they would talk across the current from Middle Falls.
“We would sit on the rocks and talk for about an hour,” said Joshua. “Traci made a pillowcase for me with the words ‘Things that are worth it, are worth working for’ embroidered on the case.”
Traci visited Joshua’s family in Duluth in August, but when she returned to Thunder Bay, she had to miss work and quarantine for two weeks. Joshua has been approved for family reunification by Canada, so it means he can also visit, but again, he would have to quarantine for two weeks, something he can’t do when he’s starting a new job.
Traci has a daughter in the ninth grade and has an important job, said Joshua. She is an airline manager for a domestic airline in Thunder Bay. Its primary hubs are at the Thunder Bay International Airport and the Sioux Lookout Airport, with charter service and cargo service based at Red Lake Airport and Pickle Lake Airport. The airway supplies food, clothing, hardware, and other supplies to 25 remote communities in Ontario, said Joshua, adding, “Like I said, it’s an important job.”
With a COVID-19 vaccine on the horizon, there is some light at the end of the riverbank.
“Hopefully, I can get vaccinated, and then I might be able to go up to Thunder Bay with fewer restrictions,” Joshua said.
For now Traci and Joshua chat daily online, and once a week, they have a video date.
“We met at middle falls last Tuesday, but we only talked for about 20 minutes. We couldn’t sit on the rocks, and it was cold,” said Joshua, who made the long hike in and out. As for Traci, the trip to middle falls is easier but no less frustrating. She can park alongside the road on the Canadian side and walk about 100 feet to see her boyfriend just across the river, a country away. They talk loud enough to be heard over the gurgling current. They dream of a day when they can sit down across a table and speak in a normal voice. That day’s coming, but it won’t be here for a while.
“It’s hard, but as Traci says, ‘”Things that are worth it, are worth waiting for.”
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