Peace Arch Park is an international park consisting of Peace Arch Historical State Park in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

and Peace Arch Provincial Park in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. The park straddles the

international boundary Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders ca ...

between the two countries at the extreme western end of the main contiguous section of the two countries' land border, between Blaine, Washington, United States, and Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, where it reaches

Semiahmoo Bay Semiahmoo Bay ( ) is the southeastern section of Boundary Bay on the Pacific coast of North America. The bay is named for the Semiahmoo First Nation, who originally occupied the area. The Semiahmoo Peninsula borders the bay and was home to canne ...

of the

Salish Sea , image = PNW-straits.jpg , alt = , caption = The Salish Sea, showing the open Pacific Ocean at lower left, and from there, heading inland: the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the narrow Puget Sound at lower ri ...

on the continent's Pacific Coast. The park's central feature is the

Peace Arch The Peace Arch (french: Arche de la Paix) is a monument situated near the westernmost point of the Canada–United States border in the contiguous United States, between the communities of Blaine, Washington and Surrey, British Columbia. Co ...

. The park is located at the Peace Arch Border Crossing (also known as the Douglas Border Crossing), where Highway 99 in British Columbia and

Interstate 5 in Washington Interstate 5 (I-5) is an Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States that serves as the region's primary north–south route. It spans across the state of Washington, from the Oregon state border at Vancouver, through the Puget ...

State meet. The park's northern portion is about and is managed by the

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

Ministry of Environment. The southern portion is about and is managed by the

Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission The Washington State Park System is a set of state parks owned by the state government of Washington, USA. They are managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. There are over 140 parks throughout the state, including 19 mari ...

History

Border inspection services at what is now known as the Peace Arch Border Crossing long predated the 1921 construction of the

. The Peace Arch, dedicated in 1921, commemorates the

Treaty of Ghent The Treaty of Ghent () was the peace treaty that ended the War of 1812 between the United States and the United Kingdom. It took effect in February 1815. Both sides signed it on December 24, 1814, in the city of Ghent, United Netherlands (now in ...

and the Rush-Bagot agreement ending the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...

, which "provided for peaceful resolution of U.S.—British disputes and an unguarded U.S./Canadian border." The United States side was established as a state park in 1931. The Canadian side was established as a provincial park on November 7, 1939.

COVID-19 pandemic

In response to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

, the Canada–United States border was shut down for non-essential travel on March 21, 2020. Initially, the parks on both sides of the border continued to open, allowing visitors from both sides of the border to gather at the park. However, as the number of park visitors continued to increase, the Canadian side of the park was ordered to close on June 18, 2020. On November 8, 2021, the border reopened to non-essential travel for Canadians who received a COVID-19 vaccine. Despite the closure of the Canadian side of the park, and to get around mandatory Canadian public health and quarantine requirements, some visitors on the Canadian side continued to cross the border by directly accessing Peace Arch Historical State Park from

0 Avenue 0 Avenue is a road in the Lower Mainland, British Columbia straddling the Canada–United States border, stretching from Surrey to Abbotsford. The road runs parallel to the physical border between Canada and the United States. The road begins ...

in Surrey. Although the

U.S. Customs and Border Protection United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the largest federal law enforcement agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security. It is the country's primary border control organization, charged with regulating and facilit ...

allowed Canadian visitors to enter the American side of the park and return to Canada, Canada Border Services Agency required anyone crossing the international border to report to CBSA to avoid potential penalties or charges. In an interview with ''

CBC News CBC News is a division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on the corporation's English-language operations, namely CBC Television, CBC Radio, CBC News Network, and CBC.ca ...

'', an immigration attorney from Washington state cited that the 1814

prevents the erection of a barrier on the boundary, as it stipulates that such an action would cause the entire US-Canada boundary governed by the treaty to revert to its pre-treaty status. Peace Arch Park is one of the most common locations reported to have served for 2020–21 border weddings. Unlike other border crossings where weddings were held, Peace Arch allowed both sides to meet in the same location with no separation.

Recreation

Recreational activities include walking and picnicking as well as a playground for children. Visitors are allowed to explore both sides of the Canada–United States border inside the park, but are warned not to cross the boundary of the park to enter the adjacent country without being cleared to enter by the respective customs authority, as violators are subject to prosecution. Although no known cameras are in the park itself, United States Border Patrol agents in cars, on bikes, and on foot inside and steerable cameras on poles outside watch the park.

Events

The International Peace Arch Association (IPAA) (formerly the United States Canada Peace Anniversary Association) is a nonprofit association dedicated to the heritage and preservation of the international monument. The association hosts park events and activities including the annual International Sculpture Exhibition, which highlights the work of American and Canadian artists.

References

Flowers at Peace Arch Park (15140689489)

External links

Peace Arch Provincial Park
BC Parks
Peace Arch Historical State Park
Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
International Peace Arch Association (IPAA)
* {{authority control Canada–United States border Peace parks Parks in Surrey, British Columbia Parks in Whatcom County, Washington State parks of Washington (state) Monuments and memorials in Washington (state) Provincial parks of British Columbia Transboundary protected areas 1939 establishments in British Columbia Protected areas established in 1939 1939 establishments in Washington (state) Interstate 5