“It was really busy with the snow and everything,” Blank said. People took to the park’s hill for sledding and one cross-border couple got engaged.įifty tents dotted the park Saturday and at least 24 cross-border groups continued to meet in the snow on Monday, he reported. Valentine’s Day at the snowy park drew in over 60 tents in Sunday’s sub-freezing temperatures, Blank said. Park ranger Rickey Blank said the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission didn’t allow tents at first but began permitting them during the summer, while restricting overnight camping and only allowing structures on the east side of the park. or Canada to build a barrier within 10 feet of the border.Īs temperatures dropped in the fall, concern arose from people meeting in tents, which Washington State Parks and Recreation data showed could number 70 tents per day on the weekends but have decreased with the recent rain.Īlthough tents are normally only allowed at campgrounds in state parks, there is no law that says tents cannot be used in a day-use area. The park is a neutral zone for Canadians to cross into because of a loophole in the 1814 Treaty of Ghent that does not allow either the U.S. side has been open since May for people to meet family and friends in the international boundary, with weekends gathering hundreds of people.

“I’m hopeful that those people who are coming together to see loved ones in that international space are doing so safely.” “If we see consistent concerns about Peace Arch Park, I’ll certainly raise that with the federal government and they can take action with their counterparts in Washington, D.C.,” Horgan said. He also said he hasn’t discussed the cross-border meetings with Inslee, while other topics like Point Roberts have come up. In the wake of the more contagious Covid-19 variant, they asked Horgan to put pressure on Washington governor Jay Inslee to close the park until the border reopens to non-essential travel.īut in a news conference later that day, Horgan said the park is not regulated by Washington state or B.C. The MLAs wrote that they hear complaints from residents who don’t feel safe with the number of people meeting. “While we appreciate the desire or families to reunite – it must be done through the proper channels and following all health guidelines, not a loophole no one wants to take responsibility for,” the letter states. liberal MLAs Trevor Halford (Surrey-White Rock) and Stephanie Cadieux (South Surrey) called on Horgan to take action against the park meetings. officials questioned the loophole’s logic that allows for these gatherings just days before Valentine’s Day. With Canadian case rates significantly lower than the U.S., B.C. side of Peace Arch Park has remained open during the pandemic, becoming a focal point for frequent meet-ups between U.S.

Peace arch park camping