People Want To Give Part Of Minnesota To Canada

NORTHWEST ANGLE, MN — A new petition is asking lawmakers to give the northernmost point in the contiguous 48 United States, otherwise known as Minnesota's " Northwest Angle," to Canada. The petition claims the unique piece of land — where Angle Township and Lake of the Woods County lie — is a result of a map error and belongs in Manitoba.

"Negotiators of the initial Canada–US border misunderstood the geography of the area. Benjamin Franklin and British representatives relied on the Mitchell Map of colonial American geographer John Mitchell," the petition on the White House website reads.

"Due to a surveying errors, it is the only place in the United States outside Alaska that is north of the 49th parallel, which forms the border between the U.S. and Canada. The total population is only about 120 people which are native to Canadian soil. Make america great by correcting this critical survey error."

The petition isn't particularly popular among residents of the Angle, however. While they like Canadians, they aren't interested in becoming one.

"We’re proud to be neighbors, but that is where we draw the line," Lisa Goulet of Angle Outpost Resort told the Star Tribune.

"If they gave us to Canada, it would be very personal."

Also read: Buy A Cabin In Minnesota's Northwest Angle

So far, 2,112 people have signed the petition. It needs more than 97,000 more signatures by Jan. 29 in order to get a response from the White House.

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