Peace Arch, Washington

Peace Arch State Park contains the large white Peace Arch in the traffic island between the lanes of road between the Ports of Entry. The arch was conceived and designed by Sam Hill, a proponent of road and rail development in the Pacific Northwest, and a visionary builder, whose great works include a replica of Stonehenge and a drive-thru mansion on the Columbia River, now the Maryhill Museum. The arch was dedicated in 1921. It stands directly on the border, at an angle. Inside are two gates, bolted in such a way that it would be difficult to close them. At the north end of the lawn that holds the Arch, inside the traffic island between the two lanes of road and the Ports of Entry, is a floral Canadian flag, and at the south end a US one. There are also monuments and plaques of all kinds. Some discuss historical points about the boundary, others simply commemorate commemoration. The park also extends northward (where it becomes a Provincial Park), on both sides of the highway, and eastward along the boundary line. This portion is a Washington State Park, and has playing fields and picnic tables. Its northern edge is unfenced, and is directly on the boundary, parallel to 0 Avenue, which is in Canada. Over its last few miles, the green strip separating the nations along 0 Avenue has become a trench, a few feet deep and full of brambles, which is a barrier for vehicles and most pedestrians, as well as a functional drainage ditch. At the park, the trench has small pedestrian bridges over it, and in the middle of one bridge is a stainless steel boundary post.  There are also signs letting you know what’s happening (sort of): On the US side they say “leaving United States border.” On the Canadian side they say “pets on leash.” Other than that, along this quarter mile stretch of park along 0 Avenue, adjacent to the homes and street grid of Surrey, British Columbia, there is nothing indicating that you are crossing the international boundary. The park is an open international space, like the International Peace Garden in North Dakota, or the golf course at the Aroostook Valley Country Club, in Maine. Leaving the park’s southern perimeter by foot there is a small sign in the bushes, notifying pedestrians that “Federal law requires that all persons seeking to enter the United States be inspected by immigrations and customs officers before proceeding beyond this point. Report for inspection at the Peace Arch Point of Entry.” It is easy to miss. Its noticeable that there are no obvious cameras in the park itself, and this is part of what makes it such a remarkable and peaceful place, and a kind of “hole” in the otherwise often anxious boundary. But the Border Patrol clearly keeps a very close eye on the park, with agents parked in cars, walking around, and on bikes. And there are some pretty powerful-looking steerable cameras on poles outside the park.