Towboats, which are often controversial in the BWCA, praised their role in fire rescues

Towboats, which are often controversial in the BWCA, praised their role in fire rescues

Resort owners and outfitters in Ely played a critical role this week in helping evacuate canoeists from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, as they used their motorized towboats to get people and their gear out. But there's long been a controversy over the use of noisy towboats in the quiet and pristine wilderness.