American and Canadian participants attend a Peace Arch rally at the U.S.-Canada border in Blaine. (PNW Daily staff)
BLAINE, Wash. — What began as a solitary protest at the Peace Arch has now reached a milestone.
Organizers with Peace, Love, and a Handshake say Saturday’s gathering will mark one year since Americans and Canadians first began meeting at the monument to show cross-border solidarity.
“We didn’t think we’d have to be here a whole year,” Canadian organizer Haidee Landry said. “But we stuck it out, through wind and rain and sleet.”
The group plans to gather again this weekend from noon to 2 p.m. at Peace Arch Park. Organizers say the anniversary event will include speakers from both sides of the border as participants reflect on a year of demonstrations centered on democracy, sovereignty, and the rule of law.
From one person with a flag
PNW Daily captured the moment the movement began.
Landry arrived at the park alone, carrying handmade protest signs and a Canadian flag mounted on a hockey stick.
She stood quietly in the wind near the monument.
Within minutes, people began stopping, asking questions, and joining the conversation.
That moment was captured during one of several PNW Daily livestreams from the park on TikTok.
Over time, those biweekly interactions have evolved into an ongoing peace movement.
A year of biweekly rallies
The rallies started in March 2025 after President Donald Trump announced tariffs on Canadian goods and repeatedly floated the idea of Canada becoming the “51st state.”
Soon afterward, participants began meeting every two weeks at the monument.
The gatherings developed their own routine. Organizers brought coffee, creamer, homemade cookies, and Timbits.
For American readers unfamiliar with the treat, Timbits are donut holes from the Canadian chain Tim Hortons.
Attendance has varied over the past year. Some rallies drew sizable crowds while others included a smaller group of consistent participants.
Organizers say the goal has never been size.
They say the message is persistence.
A response to political rhetoric
Participants say their message is not directed at citizens of either country.
Many who attend have friends, family, and work connections across the border.
Instead, the rallies focus on what participants describe as dangerous political rhetoric, including authoritarianism, territorial expansion, and threats to democratic norms.
Signs often reference peace, sovereignty, and community.
Both Canadian and American flags are common at the gatherings.
Renewed attention in 2026
Organizers say the movement has taken on renewed urgency in recent months as trade tensions and geopolitical rhetoric have returned to the headlines.
Those developments include renewed annexation rhetoric directed toward Greenland and continued disputes over tariffs and cross-border trade.
Participants say those conversations matter because they shape how people think about borders, sovereignty, and diplomacy.
Why the Peace Arch matters
The location itself carries powerful symbolism.
The Peace Arch monument was built to commemorate the long history of peace between the United States and Canada.
The monument carries the inscription “Children of a Common Mother,” reflecting the shared heritage between the two nations.
Peace Arch Park also holds a unique legal status. Residents from both countries can meet face to face inside the park without formally crossing through a border checkpoint.
That rare arrangement has made the park a natural gathering place for demonstrations, celebrations, and international meetings for more than a century.
Organizers say that symbolism explains why the rallies continue to take place here.
The monument stands as a reminder that the two countries have long chosen cooperation over conflict.
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