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 act of protest at the Peace Arch has become a recurring show of cross-border solidarity, and this weekend renewed international trade tensions and President Donald Trump’s public statements about annexing Greenland are igniting fresh anger.
Peace, Love, and a Handshake, a biweekly gathering of Americans and Canadians, returns Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. at Peace Arch Park. The rally began last March after Trump announced new tariffs on Canadian goods and publicly floated the idea of Canada becoming the “51st state.” Participants say they gather to show cross-border solidarity, support democratic norms, and reject nationalist and annexation rhetoric.
From a Solitary Protest to a Recurring Movement
PNW Daily captured the first time Canadian organizer Haidee Landry arrived at the park to protest, carrying handmade signs and a Canadian flag mounted on a hockey stick.
It was an iconic moment captured during one of the many PNW Daily livestreams from the park on TikTok. Landry stood there by herself, quietly, in the wind, with that flag. Within minutes, people started stopping, talking, joining.
The rallies began in March 2025, shortly after Trump announced new tariffs on Canadian goods and repeatedly floated the idea of Canada becoming the “51st state.”
Soon, the gatherings became regular every two weeks. Organizers brought warm coffee and creamer, homemade cookies, and Timbits. For American readers, Timbits are donut holes made from the Canadian chain, Tim Horton’s.
Attendance has fluctuated over the past year. Some rallies have drawn large crowds, while recent events have included about a dozen consistent participants. Organizers say the size has never been the point.
They say the message is consistency.
A response to political rhetoric, not people
Participants emphasize that the rallies are not aimed at citizens of either country. Many who attend have friends, family, or work ties across the border.
Instead, the movement focuses on resisting what they describe as dangerous political ideas such as authoritarianism, expansionism, and the erosion of democratic norms.
Signs often carry messages about peace, sovereignty, and community. Participants carry both U.S. and Canadian flags.
Renewed relevance in 2026
Organizers say the rally has taken on new urgency in recent weeks as global tensions resurface, particularly following Trump’s renewed annexation rhetoric toward Greenland and escalating trade disputes.
While those developments may feel distant to some, participants say the ideas behind them are not.
They argue that when world leaders normalize the language of absorption and domination, it reshapes how borders, sovereignty, and human rights are understood.
Saturday’s rally is expected to draw a mix of longtime participants and newcomers.
Why the Peace Arch
The location is not incidental.
The Peace Arch commemorates the long-standing peaceful relationship between the United States and Canada. The monument bears the inscription “Children of a Common Mother,” symbolizing shared heritage and mutual respect between the two nations.
Peace Arch Park is also one of the few places where residents of both countries can legally meet face to face without passing through customs. That makes it a rare space for international dialogue, protest, and solidarity.
That symbolism is why organizers say the rallies belong here.
The monument stands as a symbol of peace.
This weekend’s rally
The Peace Arch Rally will take place Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. at Peace Arch Park.
Organizers describe the event as peaceful, informal, and open to all.
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