After passing by this location several times, GreenThumb9 and I decided that the history/geography of this area needed to bring in a few more visitors, so . . . now you have it.
The 49th Parallel: The Line Between The US and Canada
The 5,525-mile-long border between Canada and the United States of America is the longest undefended international boundary in the world, but how did it come to be?
Though the countries may seem like model neighbors today (for the most part), back in the 1700’s-1800’s there were skirmishes, arguments, disputes, and even outright wars to settle the matter of who got what in North America. Britain, the United States, American Presidents, Canadian Prime Ministers, and military troops had it out over who would own and settle land in North America.
Finally, in 1908, a treaty between the two nations was signed, establishing a joint commission tasked with surveying and delineating the border between the two neighbors.
In 1925, Canada and America agreed to make the International Boundary Commission permanent, in order to maintain the land and monuments along the border. One of its responsibilities is maintenance of the Peace Arch, which was built on the exact line between the two nations, in Washington State in the U.S. and British Columbia in Canada. On the U.S side, the monument reads "Children of a Common Mother," and on the Canadian side "Brethren Dwelling together in Unity." And for the most part, both are true.
This "Line" forms the southern border between the western provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, most of British Columbia and the United States.
As far as we know, there are no more plans to invade. It was a long road, but in the end, Canada and the United States reached a harmonious relationship that stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific.