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Peace Arch
is not a typical BC Provincial Park, instead it is a testament to
peace between Canada and the United States. The main attraction
here is the imposing white monument called Peace Arch, a unique
symbol of peace and friendship between Canada and the US.
The monument
was constructed in 1921 commemorating the signing of the Treaty
of Ghent on December 24, 1814, which ended the War of 1812 between
the US and Britain. Sam Hill, a prominent American businessman,
conceived the idea of the arch. Mr. Hill laid a hollow cornerstone
within which he placed a hammered steel box made from the steel
of a captured slave ship. Inside the box, he placed a piece of the
Beaver and the Mayflower.
The arch was
the first of its kind in the world, and today remains an open gate
between Canada and the US, bearing the inscription May These
Gates Never Close. The historical Peace Arch has engravings:
Children of a Common Mother, on the Washington side, and
Brethren Dwelling Together in Unity on the British Columbia
side.
School children
from the United States and Canada donated money for the purchase
of the land surrounding the Peace Arch, and on November 7, 1939,
the Canadian portion of the Peace Arch Park was officially dedicated.
The park encompasses 16 hectares, of which 9 hectares are located
on the Canadian side. Management of the park is a joint effort
between BC Parks and Washington State Parks.
The park’s landscape
consists of beautifully maintained grass lawns, a lily pond, and
flower gardens in the shape of the Canadian flag. At sunny times
of the year, Peace Arch Provincial Park attracts almost as many
photographers as it does motorists who must wait patiently for their
turn to cross the border. The floral landscaping in the park is
another reason that visitors come here with cameras in hand. On
sunny days, particularly when the long afternoon sun begins to drop
towards Vancouver Island, Semiahmoo Bay dazzles with its powerful
reflection of light. This a good location for big sky shots of the
fiery variety.
There are picnic
tables scattered throughout the park and a children’s playground
near the north end. The park also has an indoor picnic shelter that
was built in 1948, making it the oldest of its kind in the provincial
park system. The shelter's natural wood finish and picturesque
setting have made it a very popular picnicking site. The facility
can seat 150 people and has a maximum capacity of 800. The kitchen
has five double hotplates and four sinks with hot and cold water.
All groups are expected to be considerate and share the facility,
and no group has exclusive use of the shelter.
The park is
located about 40 km south of Vancouver, straddling the 49th parallel
on the International Boundary between Canada and the USA at the
Douglas Border crossing. This is at the junction of Highway 99 in
British Columbia and Interstate 5 in Washington State.
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