Pulling for Peace has weather plan

This year, the event was caneled when a storm came up suddenly July 2 along the U.S. and Canada border. The storm hit just before the 2012 tug was to begin.

Pulling for Peace conducts the International Tug-of-War as part of “International Peaceful Borders Day” on July 2 every year, proclaimed this year by Canada Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Harper stated in his proclamation, “I urge all citizens of both Canada and the United States to pause on this day to appreciate the blessings of good friends and good neighbors across peaceful borders and to honor this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities such as the International Tug-of-War held across the Rainy River in International Falls, Minn., and Fort Frances, Ontario.”

 International Falls City Councilor Cynthia Jaksa, chairwoman of the Pulling for Peace organizing committee, said “All I can tell the Prime Minister is we really tried. While diplomatic relations were peaceful on July 2, the weather was not.”

Canadian and U.S. teams of pullers met on each side of the Rainy River to compete in the annual event when a violent storm forced cancellation of the event.

“Although the rules do provide for a coin flip in the event of inclement weather, I was reluctant to allow our national honor to be decided by chance,” Fort Frances Mayor Roy Avis stated. Avis and former Falls Mayor Shawn Mason met to determine how to handle the cancellation and decided the travelling trophy, which details the winners back to 2006 when the event started, would be inscribed “2012 Cancelled Due to Weather.” At the two mayors urging, Pulling for Peace organizers then prepared a weather emergency contingency plan which was issued Tuesday.

“The 2013 rules provide for a delay of one hour in the event of a weather emergency,” stated Jaksa. “This year a one-hour delay would have been enough to have allowed us to proceed.”

The contingency plan asks participants and spectators to monitor local radio broadcasts one hour after the scheduled start of 5 p.m. if there is a weather delay.

“If we can’t conduct the event safely at 6 p.m., we will advise everyone to check back at 7 p.m. If we can’t proceed safely at seven, then we will cancel the event,” Jaksa added. She noted the possibility of rescheduling to a different day was discussed by the committee but determined not feasible because of logistical issues involving navigation and aeronautical disruptions.

The Pulling for Peace International Tug-of-War is scheduled in 2013 for 5 p.m. on July 2. More information on the International Tug-of-War is available at www.pullingforpeace.com.