Tofte Lake Center (TLC) is a non-profit organization that provides residencies for artists who crave dedicated time to work on their projects, for creatives who seek individual growth through guided workshops or retreats, for arts organizations that want to make time to re/focus on their goals or mission, for arts leaders to gather to exchange ideas with colleagues in their field. TLC is on a pristine lake near Ely, Minnesota, and adjacent to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. We also offer host arts events, workshops, and yoga classes to the broader public.
Visit our website for more information! https://www.toftelake.org/
Tofte Lake Center is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization
The purpose of the Trust shall be for the enhancement, growth and improvement of:
The Ely Public Library
The arts and artisans of Ely and surrounding area, to include the
performing arts, the visual arts and literature
The creating and funding of scholarships, educational and artistic grants
The cultural and aesthetic environment of the City of Ely and its surrounding area
To date the Trust has awarded more than $625,000 back to the community artists and art organizations to enrich life in Ely.
Sustainable Ely is the home of the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters in Ely, Minnesota.
Visit Sustainable Ely when you are in Ely to learn more about the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters, the risk posed to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness from proposed sulfide-ore copper mining and talk about your trip to the Boundary Waters. Our Ely staff and volunteers are ready and willing to help.
The Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters and Sustainable Ely are projects of Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness.
The Ely Igloo Snowmobile Club was organized in 1960 and became the first club of its kind in the USA. The Ely Igloos were also one of the founding members of the International Snowmobile Association (ISA), which later became known as today’s Minnesota United Snowmobile Association (MnUSA).
Members of the club have developed trails in the Ely area, and each year in preparation for the upcoming snowmobile season, numerous club members volunteer their time to clear the trails of trees and branches.
An important mission of the Ely Igloo Snowmobile Club has been, from the very beginning, training of young snowmobile riders with a Snowmobile Safety Class taught each year. These classes teach boys and girls of at least 11 years of age about the proper etiquette of snowmobiling and the rules of the trail.
In recent years, the Ely Igloo Snowmobile Club has taken on the task of grooming the Ely area trails. The club receives funding from the state to maintain and groom the grant-in-aid Tomahawk Trail. Other local trails like the Bianchi Trail (off the Taconite Trail), the Ely/Winton Railroad Grade, and the 13 Corners Trail are also groomed by our club.
In addition, our club has taken on the task of staking and grooming numerous lake trails including Shagawa Lake/Fall Lake Trail, Burntside Lake Trail, Bass Lake Trail, White Iron Lake/Birch Lakes Trail, Little Long Lake Trail, Fall Lake/Cedar Lake Trail, Grassy Lake Trails and the Mud Lake Trail to Lake Vermilion.
From the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northeastern Minnesota, Widji is uniquely situated to provide access to some of the finest wilderness areas in North America. Four generations of young lives, spanning over eighty years, have been transformed by a Widjiwagan experience. Through wilderness travel and environmental learning experiences, they have built leadership skills, gained confidence and explored extraordinary listings.
Camp Widjiwagan offers programming for teens, ages 11–18.
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The Ely Area Development Association is a job placement services program for Northeastern Minnesota
Our mission is to enrich the quality of life for our members, the community, and the surrounding area through support and development of the visual, literary and performing arts.
The Foundation, founded in 2002, provides financial resources to support the mission of the hospital in its commitment to caring for and enhancing the health and well being of the community it serves.
Located in Ely, Minnesota, we are the Sigurd F. Olson legacy organization. Founded in 1998, Listening Point Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to keep Sig’s legacy and wilderness philosophy alive in the world today.
Listening Point Foundation works to create strong connections with our community and supporters near and far. Our volunteer tour guides take visitors from Ely out in all seasons to experience the coziness of the Olson family home, the historic Writing Shack, and the wonder and beauty of Listening Point. Here in Ely, we now offer annual scholarships to the local high school and community college, and enjoy welcoming teachers and student groups to guided tours that explore Sig’s national impact on wilderness preservation in Minnesota and across North America.
MAILING ADDRESS
P.O. Box 180
Ely, Minnesota 55731
The purpose of Incredible Ely is to revitalize Ely’s downtown and support innovative growth in the Ely area by connecting businesses, people, knowledge, ideas, and resources. IE’s vision is a dynamic, innovative, and distinctive community with a diversified and seasonally-balanced economic base.
Explore our projects and join our beautification efforts while supporting innovative growth.
Like many rural communities, the Ely area has struggled to maintain a vibrant economy in the wake of the 2007-08 economic recession. Empty storefronts are a visible reminder of the challenges we face in attracting and retaining young people and ensuring that they have employment opportunities throughout the year – not just during the summer tourist season. Yet there are signs of an Ely renaissance — in the re-opening of Wintergreen Northern Wear, in the expansion of Steger Mukluks, with the opening of the Folk School, and especially in the property developments being undertaken by the Ely Economic Development Authority.
The Ely area has no shortage of talent, and it’s many volunteer organizations are enthusiastically adding to Ely’s offerings in the arts, recreation, and tourist attractions. Incredible Ely (IE) in conjunction with the City and the Chamber of Commerce is part of the community-wide effort to make the area a great place to live, work, and raise a family.