Peace Arch

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The Peace Arch border.

The Peace Arch from the US side.

The Peace Arch is a gateway-type monument situated on the Canada-United States border between the communities of Blaine, Washington and Surrey, British Columbia. The Peace Arch, standing 20.5 meters 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 United States-Canada 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 with an inscription above reading "May these gates never be closed". This signifies the fact that both countries would have to consent for the border to be closed. 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. Within the park is a major border crossing which has never closed, symbolising a long history of peace between the two nations.

In Canada, the crossing is officially named Douglas, in honour of Sir James Douglas, the first governor of the Colony of British Columbia. Because of the Peace Arch monument, however, the border crossing between Surrey and Blaine is popularly known as the "Peace Arch Border Crossing," one of the busiest border crossings between Canada and the United States. It is the busiest such crossing west of Detroit.