Peace Arch Park is a park straddling the International Boundary between the United States and Canada at the extreme western end of the main contiguous section of the two countries' land border, where it reaches Semiahmoo Bay

Semiahmoo Bay

Semiahmoo Bay is the southeastern section of Boundary Bay on the Pacific coast of North America. The name "Semiahmoo" is a Coast Salish word for "half moon".From the north to south, the following communities and places are located on its shore:...

 of Puget Sound

Puget Sound

Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...

 on the continent's Pacific Coast. (There are also separate sections of the land border further west on Point Roberts peninsula, and in Alaska

Alaska

Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...

.) The park is at the Douglas border crossing where Highway 99 in British Columbia and Interstate 5

Interstate 5

Interstate 5 is the main Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific Ocean coastline from Canada to Mexico . It serves some of the largest cities on the U.S...

 in Washington State meet.

This international park consists of the Peace Arch State Park on the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 side of the border and the Peace Arch Provincial Park on the Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 side of the border.

History

The Peace Arch

Peace Arch

The Peace Arch is a monument situated on the Canada – United States border between the communities of Blaine, Washington and Surrey, British Columbia. The Peace Arch, which stands...

, dedicated in 1921, was the first such structure in the world. It was built on the International Boundary between Canada and the United States to commemorate the lasting peace between the two countries. The Canadian side was established as a provincial park on November 7, 1939.

Peace Arch monument

The park is notable for the Peace Arch

Peace Arch

The Peace Arch is a monument situated on the Canada – United States border between the communities of Blaine, Washington and Surrey, British Columbia. The Peace Arch, which stands...

. The northern portion is about 9 hectares (22 acres) and is managed by the British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

 Ministry of Environment. The southern portion is about 8.1 hectares (20 acres) and is managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission

Washington State Park System

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. As of 2011, the parks are primarily funded through the state's general fund, augmented by usage fees...

. Visitors to the park are free to explore the entire park on both sides of the actual physical border, but should not cross the boundary of the park to enter the adjacent country without being cleared to enter by the respective customs

Customs

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

 authority.

Recreation

The following recreational activities are available: walking, indoor and outdoor picnicking and a playground for children.

Events

The Park hosts an annual International Sculpture Exhibition highlighting the work of American and Canadian artists. The Twelfth Annual Exhibition will include works by Micajah Bienvenu, Ho Baron

Ho Baron

Ho Baron is a sculptor living and working in El Paso, Texas. His controversial pieces have been featured in shows, galleries, museums and public art installations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Maryland, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia, Washington and...

, David Eisenhour, Thomas Givens, Mark Yale Harris, Elia Mishkis, Kono Moriyuki, Leo Osborne, Chris Rench, Thor Myhre, Beverly Steigerwald and the team of Margo Westfall and Don Levett.

Peace Arch Park is the western United States gateway to the 2010 Winter Olympics

2010 Winter Olympics

The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...

in Vancouver, British Columbia.

External links

• Peace Arch State Park, Washington
• Peace Arch Provincial Park, British Columbia
• United States Canada Peace Anniversary Association (USCPAA), is a nonprofit association dedicated to the heritage and preservation of the international monument. The association hosts annual events & activities in the international park.