Peace Arch

The Peace Arch 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.The Peace Arch, which stands tall, was built by Sam Hill and dedicated in September 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 Highway 99, in the grass median between the northbound and southbound lanes.The Peace Arch has the flags of the US and Canada mounted on its crown, and two inscriptions on both sides of its frieze. The inscription on the US 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 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".