Missing imageSICM_039.jpg Peace Arch April 2004
The
Peace Arch is a gateway-type monument situated on the border between the
United States and
Canada, between the communities of
Blaine,
Washington and
Surrey,
British Columbia. The Peace Arch, standing 20.5 metres tall, was built by
Sam Hill and dedicated in September of
1921, and commemorates the signing of the
Treaty of Ghent in
1814. The monument is built on the exact boundary between
Interstate 5 and
B.C. Highway 99, in the grass median between the northbound and southbound lanes. The Peace Arch has the flags of the U.S. and Canada mounted on its crown, and two inscriptions on both sides of its frieze. The inscription on the U.S. side of the Peace Arch reads "Children of a common mother", and the words on the Canadian side read "Brethren dwelling together in unity". Within the arch, each side has an iron gate hinged on either side of the border. This signifies the fact that both countries would have to consent for the border to be closed. The Peace Arch is surrounded by
Peace Arch Park, which also spans both sides of the Canada-U.S. border. Within the park is a major border crossing which has never closed, symbolising a long history of peace between the two nations.
Because of the Peach Arch monument, the border crossing between Surrey and Blaine is known as the "Peach Arch Border Crossing," one of the busiest border crossings between Canada and the United States.
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