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 Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

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 to ...

. 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 Blaine is a city in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. The city's northern boundary is the Canada–U.S. border; the Peace Arch international monument straddles the border of both countries. The population was 5,884 at the 2020 censu ...

, United States, and

Surrey, British Columbia Surrey is a city in British Columbia, Canada. It is located south of the Fraser River on the Canada–United States border. It is a member municipality of the Metro Vancouver regional district and metropolitan area. Mainly a suburban city, Su ...

, 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 on the continent's

Pacific Coast Pacific coast may be used to reference any coastline that borders the Pacific Ocean. Geography Americas Countries on the western side of the Americas have a Pacific coast as their western or southwestern border, except for Panama, where the Pac ...

. The park's central feature is the Peace Arch. The park is located at the

Peace Arch Border Crossing The Peace Arch Border Crossing is the common name for the Blaine–Douglas crossing which connects the cities of Blaine, Washington and Surrey, British Columbia on the Canada–United States border. I5 on the American side joins BC Highway 99 on ...

(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, for ...

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 park, state parks owned by the state government of Washington (state), Washington, United States, USA. They are managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. There are over 140 ...

History

Border inspection services at what is now known as the

long predated the 1921 construction of the Peace Arch. The Peace Arch, dedicated in 1921, commemorates the Treaty of Ghent 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 of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It be ...

, 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 The border between Canada and the United States is the longest international border in the world. The terrestrial boundary (including boundaries in the Great Lakes, Atlantic, and Pacific coasts) is long. The land border has two sections: ...

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 A COVID19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID19). Prior to the COVID19 pandemic, an e ...

. 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 allowed Canadian visitors to enter the American side of the park and return to Canada,

Canada Border Services Agency The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA; french: Agence des services frontaliers du Canada, ''ASFC'') is a federal law enforcement agency that is responsible for border control (i.e. protection and surveillance), immigration enforcement, and c ...

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 Treaty of Ghent 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 wedding 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 c ...

s. 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 Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting tariffs and for controlling the flow of goods, including animals, transports, personal effects, and hazardous items, into and out of a country. Traditionally, customs ...

authority, as violators are subject to prosecution. Although no known cameras are in the park itself,

United States Border Patrol The United States Border Patrol (USBP) is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States' Customs and Border Protection and is responsible for securing the borders of the United States. According to its web site in 2022, its mission ...

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