Americans and Canadians come together at the Peace Arch amid growing tensions about President Donald Trump’s talk to turn Canada into the “51st state”
When the United States and Canada first imposed border restrictions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, the Peace Arch — a monument standing between Blaine, Washington, and Surrey, British Columbia — emerged as a haven for couples, families and friends to meet without formally crossing the border. Americans and Canadians met on the U.S. side of the Peace Arch during COVID for family reunions, cultural celebrations, picnics and barbecues — and even for weddings.
Five years later, Americans and Canadians no longer need to wear masks or social distance at the Peace Arch — they now openly embrace one another. The Peace Arch is once again a meeting place for those seeking common ground, said Haidee Landry, a resident of Langley, B.C., and one of the organizers of the Peace, Love and a Handshake rallies.
Around 100 U.S. and Canadian friends and neighbors gathered at the Peace Arch Historical State Park April 5 for a Solidarity with Canada rally to rebuff President Donald Trump’s rhetoric about Canada joining the United States as the 51st state.
Participants waved upside-down American and right-side-up Canadian flags, displayed signs commemorating the U.S./Canada friendship and hummed along to timeless protest songs like Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin’” and Stevie Wonder’s modern-day anthem “Can We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart.” Drivers approaching both U.S. and Canadian border control at the 49th parallel occasionally honked their horns in approval.
Organizers say the rallies currently taking place at the Peace Arch — like Solidarity with Canada and Peace, Love and a Handshake — are not political in nature.
“In times of uncertainty or challenge, our communities have always found a way to unite,” observed a Blaine Chamber of Commerce press release. “These rallies reflect that resilience. It is a symbolic and meaningful reminder that no matter what policies or politics may suggest, the people of Blaine and British Columbia continue to stand together.”
Timbits diplomacy
Sher Grater, a higher education nursing coordinator from Cultus Lake, B.C., decided to make the road trip to the Peace Arch to connect with her family who live in Washington state.
“I was pleasantly surprised to see this big group, and then meeting with everyone, shaking hands and giving hugs,” Grater said. “It feels really good. I didn’t expect to get emotional and feel a connection.”
Along the way, Grater stopped at Tim Hortons to pick up a box of Timbits, bite-size doughnuts popular among Canadians of all ages. She handed out the Timbits as a gesture of friendship.
“I didn’t have my Canadian flag or anything denoting I was Canadian,” she said. “What could I bring to show I am Canadian? I thought Tim Hortons’ Timbits was a good way to start.”
Grater, a dual U.S. and Canadian citizen, has a connection to Bellingham. She graduated from Western Washington University in the late 1990s with a bachelor’s degree in studio arts.
Many Bellingham residents decided to drive up Interstate 5 to Blaine after the Hands Off protest at Bellingham City Hall to spend a sunny Saturday afternoon at the Peace Arch meeting fellow ralliers.
Jim Britain, a retired lawyer, and Pat Britain, a retired consultant with NorthStar Communications, have lived in Bellingham for 30 years. They both have fond memories of befriending Canadians during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
“We went to a bar for the first U.S./Canada hockey game,” Jim Britain said. “A group of Canadians asked where we’re from, and we said Bellingham. He said, ‘You’re not from the U.S., you’re from Bellingham. Have a seat — you’re almost Canadian.’”
Paula McGrath, a retired public school teacher and a longtime resident of Bellingham, said she felt energized by the large turnout of the Bellingham protest. That event spurred her to make the drive north.
“It’s important we stand here underneath this arch that has such an important message of ‘children of a common mother’ — that kind of says it all,” McGrath said.
The phrase “May these gates never be closed” is inscribed on the inside of the Peace Arch.
‘Elbows up’
President Trump’s negotiation tactics about making Canada the 51st state by way of economic coercion is deeply troubling to all Canadians, said Werner Antweiler, associate professor of economics in the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia. It goes beyond President Trump’s tariff threats; he has undermined Canada’s sovereignty and identity.
While there are repercussions about the president’s threats toward Canada at the government level, many Canadians — including British Columbians — are making individual choices to push back against the United States, Antweiler said. In protest, Canadians are buying Canadian products to divest from the U.S. economy and have adapted a hockey phrase “elbows up,” to show they won’t back down to President Trump’s demands.
“Canadians are very proud of their country, history and culture, just like Americans are proud about their country,” he said. “We consider many Americans our friends and neighbours — yes, we spell it with a ‘u.’ Until recently we took for granted our relationship would be one of mutual respect, trust and friendship.”
McGrath said her family in White Rock, B.C., is disappointed and disillusioned by the antagonism coming from the Trump administration against Canada.
“They’re feeling the effects without having had any input,” she said. “They didn’t vote to have their retirement impacted this way. They didn’t vote to have this strain between our two countries that share so much in common — friendship, families and businesses.”
A thickening border
Canadians — including British Columbians — have started to boycott travel to the United States in response to President Trump’s 51st state rhetoric, said Laurie Trautman, director of WWU’s Border Policy Research Institute.
The decline began in February 2025, as the number of travelers from British Columbia entering Washington state in a vehicle dropped from 680,000 in February 2024 to 544,000 in February 2025, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data.
In March 2025, Canadian vehicles crossing through Western Washington’s ports of entry at Blaine, Lynden and Sumas dropped off 65,000, or around 42% compared to March 2024, Trautman said, citing data from the Whatcom Council of Governments. The last two weeks of March was spring break in British Columbia.
B.C. Premier David Eby advised British Columbians to send a message to the United States in the wake of tariff and sovereignty threats. “If you have a choice about where to travel, avoid the United States,” Eby said in a March 2025 news release. “Visit somewhere in Canada or elsewhere in the world.”
A weak Canadian dollar is also likely playing a role in trip cancellations, Trautman said.
“Never in my lifetime have U.S./Canada relations been like they are now,” she said. “It’s not because Canadians can’t cross the border these days; it’s because they’re choosing not to.”
Tariff troubles
A trade war between the U.S. and Canada will drive up prices for many businesses and consumers in Whatcom County, Trautman said.
British Columbia has abundant natural resources, including forests, water, energy and natural gas reserves, along with minerals like copper and gold, said Joel Connelly, a columnist at Post Alley who has covered B.C. environment and politics for decades.
Washington relies on B.C. lumber, as state forests can’t keep up with demand, Trautman said. In addition, Washington state imports electric power from British Columbia; therefore, energy bills in Whatcom County may increase.
“It’s hard to predict about tariffs,” Antweiler said. “Tariffs will lead to higher consumer prices for businesses and consumers in the United States. Ultimately, these policies will make life more expensive for most Americans without bringing back manufacturing jobs.”
Canadians head to the polls
Canada’s federal election will take place April 28. Voters will determine which leader can best stand up to the disrespect and the trade war threats and actions coming from the White House, Antweiler said.
Current Liberal Party leader and Prime Minister Mark Carney is an experienced economist who will stand up to Trump, Connelly said. “Canadians don’t want a divisive country when they are facing a threat.”
The Conservative Party, led by Pierre Poilievre, once had a big lead in the polls in Canada until President Trump’s proposed tariffs and talk of annexing Canada. As of April 7, the Liberal Party holds a steady lead to win a majority government, according to CBC News.
Next chapter of Cascadia
A common characteristic shared by Pacific Northwest residents and Canadians is an appreciation of their tranquil way of life thousands of miles away from their respective national capitals of Washington, D.C., and Ottawa. The Cascadia bioregion encompasses Washington state, Oregon and southern British Columbia with a shared focus on economic growth, environmental sustainability and climate action.
“Americans and Canadians in Cascadia live in a beautiful part of the world,” Connelly said. “We are connected with our strong environmental convictions and climate concerns.”
Americans and Canadians who live in the Cascadia region do feel like-minded to a certain degree, Trautman said. But there’s now an underlying feeling of anxiety and apprehension around crossing the border — Americans are wondering if they are even welcome in Canada, while Canadians are expressing concern about increased enforcement at the border.
“What happens to the Cascadia vision now?” Trautman said. “It’s not popular these days for politicians on both sides of the border to engage in this kind of rhetoric.”
But ralliers and experts alike say they feel Americans and Canadians are stronger together. They hope historical relations will endure despite President Trump’s threats.
“We all work and play on both sides of the border, so it’s challenging,” McGrath said. “I’m cautiously optimistic because I think we will band together and rise up.”
Canadians north of the border also hope to find a way back to cooperation and friendship rather than face confrontation and struggle, Antweiler said.
“We will go to great lengths to defend our sovereignty, and our right to exist as a free and independent country,” he said. “Canada will never become the 51st state.”
— Story and photos by Catherine Skrzypinski
Americans and Canadians will gather again at the Peace Arch rain or shine at a Peace, Love and a Handshake rally April 12 from Noon to 2 p.m. Organizers suggest bringing U.S. and Canadian flags, along with signs of solidarity for both countries.
A Discover Pass ($10 for a day pass) is required to park in Blaine on the U.S. side of the border. Free street parking is available in downtown Blaine, a 15-minute walk to the park. Photo ID (passport, visa or legal status) is advised, as U.S. Customs and Border Protection or Canada Border Services Agency officers may ask participants to show identification.
Also read in Salish Current:
• “Commentary: Borderlands anxiety prompts wider reflection on bioregionalism,” Feb. 10, 2025
• “Sweating starts on how to handle World Cup throngs in 2026,” Nov. 1, 2024
• “So you’re thinking of becoming a Canadian resident?” Oct. 30, 2024
• “Commentary: FIFA’s green promise for Cascadia extends beyond the soccer pitch,” Oct. 22, 2024