Editing Peace Arch

{{Short description|Monument  near the westernmost point of the Canada–United States border}}
{{about|the monument|the international park containing it|Peace Arch Park}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox historic site | name =Peace Arch
| image = Peacearch-usside.jpg
| caption = The Peace Arch from the U.S. side.
| location= [[Blaine, Washington|Blaine]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], U.S.<br>[[Surrey, British Columbia|Surrey]], [[British Columbia]], Canada
| coordinates = {{coord|49|00|07.7|N|122|45|23.5|W|display=inline,title}}
| height = {{convert|67|ft|m}}
| area =
| built =1921
| architect= [[Harvey Wiley Corbett]]
| architecture= Classical Revival
| governing_body = Local
| designation1 = NRHP
| designation1_date = December 13, 1996
| designation1_number=96001493 <ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2007a}}</ref>
}}

The '''Peace Arch''' ({{langx|fr|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|Surrey]], [[British Columbia]]. Construction of the {{convert|20.5|m|ft|adj=on|sp=us}} tall arch was headed by American lawyer [[Samuel Hill|Sam Hill]] and dedicated in September 1921. The Peace Arch commemorates the signing of the [[Treaty of Ghent]] in 1814, and symbolizes a long history of peace between the two nations. The monument is built on the exact U.S.–[[Canada]] boundary, where [[Interstate 5]] on the U.S. side of the border becomes [[British Columbia Highway 99|Highway 99]] on the Canadian side, in the grass [[central reservation|median]] between the northbound and southbound lanes.

The monument and the surrounding land is part of [[Peace Arch Park]]. Within the park is [[Peace Arch Border Crossing]], a major [[Border control|border crossing]] between [[Interstate 5]] and [[British Columbia Highway 99]].

==Description==
[[File:Peace Arch.JPG|thumb|upright|left|The arch at night]]
The Peace Arch has the [[Flag of the United States|flags of United States]] and [[Flag of Canada|Canada]] mounted on its crown, and two [[inscription]]s on both sides of its [[frieze]]. The inscription on the U.S. side of the Peace Arch reads "Children of a common mother" (referring to the two nations' common origin from the [[British Empire]]), and the words on the Canadian side read "Brethren dwelling together in unity" ({{Bibleverse|Psalm|133:1|KJV}}). Within the arch, each side has an iron [[gate]] mounted on either side of the border with an inscription above each gate: the one on the east side read "May these gates never be closed", while on the west side read "1814 Open One Hundred Years 1914".

The surrounding park, [[Peace Arch Park]], consists of [[Peace Arch Provincial Park]] on the Canadian side and [[Peace Arch State Park]] on the American side of the border.

About 500,000 people visit the Peace Arch each year.<ref name="surreyheritage" /> The monument and surrounding park is considered an international park. As such, visitors do not require either a passport or visa to pass through their applicable border crossing so long as they stay within the boundaries of the park and leave the park into the country from which they entered.<ref>[http://www.peacearchpark.org/peacearch.htm About Peace Arch Park] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120904112343/http://www.peacearchpark.org/peacearch.htm |date=September 4, 2012 }}</ref>

Because of the Peace Arch monument, the border crossing between Surrey and Blaine is popularly known as the "[[Peace Arch Border Crossing]]". In Canada, the crossing is officially named [[Douglas, British Columbia|Douglas]] after [[James Douglas (governor)|Sir James Douglas]], the first governor of the [[Colony of British Columbia (1858-1866)|Colony of British Columbia]]. It is one of the busiest border crossings between Canada and the United States, and the busiest such crossing west of [[Detroit, Michigan|Detroit]].

== History ==
[[Image:Peacearch-boundaryplaque.jpg|thumb|Plaque at the arch]]
Border inspection services at what is now known as the [[Peace Arch Border Crossing]] long predated the 1921 construction of the Peace Arch.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.surreyhistory.ca/customsentry.html|title=Custom Entry Ports in Surrey |accessdate=2014-12-06}}</ref>

In 1914 [[Samuel Hill]], lawyer for the [[Great Northern Railway (US)|Great Northern Railway]], organized an international fundraising campaign to build the Arch. American architect [[Harvey Wiley Corbett]] donated his talents to design the Arch. International volunteers began constructing in 1920. It was dedicated on September 6, 1921, and was considered one of the first [[earthquake-resistant structures]] built in North America.<ref name="surreyheritage">{{cite web|title=Peace Arch – City of Surrey Heritage Sites|url=http://www.surrey.ca/culture-recreation/3218.aspx|website=www.surrey.ca|accessdate=December 31, 2016}}</ref>

The Peace Arch Park has been the site of various international events and protests. In 1952, African-American singer and activist [[Paul Robeson]], banned from international travel during the [[Red Scare]]s, performed several concerts at the site. He sang from a flatbed truck on the American side to an audience in Canada.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}} The Peace Arch was vandalized with paint and other damage by Canadian protestors demonstrating against the [[Cambodian campaign]] during the [[Vietnam War]] on May 9, 1970.<ref>{{cite web |last=Dougherty |first=Phil |date=August 2, 2007 |title=About 450 Canadians invade Blaine on May 9, 1970. |url=https://www.historylink.org/File/8242 |work=[[HistoryLink]] |accessdate=December 8, 2022}}</ref>

On February 9, 2010, the [[Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay]] visited the north side of the Peace Arch, while Premier [[Gordon Campbell (Canadian politician)|Gordon Campbell]] and Governor [[Christine Gregoire]] addressed a crowd of several hundred people.<ref>{{cite news |last=Broom |first=Jack |date=February 9, 2010 |title=Early risers gather for glimpse of Olympic Torch |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/early-risers-gather-for-glimpse-of-olympic-torch/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=January 29, 2024}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[International Peace Garden]]
* [[Canada–United States relations]]

== References ==
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{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{commons category}}
* [http://www.peacearchpark.org/ Peace Arch Park]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060312113330/http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/peacarch.html Peace Arch Provincial Park, BC]
* [http://parks.state.wa.us/562/Peace-Arch Peace Arch State Park, WA]

{{Registered Historic Places}}
<!-- Contradictory {{coord|49|00|07.13|N|122|45|24.53|W|type:1:000|display=title}} -->

[[Category:1921 sculptures]]
[[Category:Boundary markers]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1921]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Surrey, British Columbia]]
[[Category:Canada–United States border crossings]]
[[Category:Historic buildings and structures in British Columbia]]
[[Category:Interstate 5]]
[[Category:Monuments and memorials in British Columbia]]
[[Category:Monuments and memorials on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Peace monuments and memorials]]
[[Category:U.S. Route 99]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Whatcom County, Washington]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Whatcom County, Washington]]
[[Category:1921 establishments in British Columbia]]
[[Category:1921 establishments in Washington (state)]]