Editor,
After reading your article about school enrollment in Ely, I guess the only thing that I am surprised at is that so many people were surprised that the number of students in the Ely school system is on the decline.
I think it is time for people to wake up to the fact that school enrollment has been on the decline since 1967 when the last mine in Ely closed.
When I opened Canadian Waters in 1964 the population in Ely was around 6,700. In the last census Ely barely reached 3,000. I think it is time that people realize the population in Ely will continue to decline as long as there are not good paying year-round jobs that will support a family with young children.
Perhaps those people who seem to be against any kind of new development are satisfied with the way things are in Ely. I think what most people do not realize is that things rarely stay the same.
For example, when I first came to Ely in 1941 my family arrived here by passenger train. At that time Ely also had year-round daily bus service. Mining and logging were going strong, and tourism was the frosting on the cake.
Unfortunately, tourism has always been a seasonal business and does not offer the job opportunities for year-round work.
During the Covid epidemic, when people began working from home the hope was that this would encourage people that had moved to the big cities for better paying jobs would move to small towns in America and continue working from home.
Unfortunately, what happened was people loved working from home, but they also liked all the things larger metropolitan areas had to offer. The move to small town America did not happen.
So, the decline in population in Ely has continued. So where does this leave us now. Over the years there have been many groups formed to “Save The Boundary Waters” but very few if any groups to “Save Ely.”
There have been some efforts to improve the looks of the town and to try and attract small businesses to locate here. Unfortunately, nothing has been successful in improving the job market in Ely, hence all the help wanted signs all over town.
I think there is one of two paths the town can take. The first path would require the people to come together to find a way to bring an industry to Ely that would create good paying year-round jobs that would encourage families with children to move here.
The second path would be to accept the idea that Ely is a city in decline, and that little can be done to change that.
If this happens, it is my belief that two things will take place.
When the population drops to about 2,500, I predict that the first thing to happen will be the school will go through consolidation. The second thing to happen will be the hospital will close. Once this take place, I believe the school and hospital will be gone forever.
I sincerely hope that those people who seem so intent on “Saving the Boundary Waters” wake up to the fact that Ely too is worth saving.
Dan Waters
Ely, MN
