 Devoted
to World Peace, along the world’s longest unfortified border, lies
a 2,339 acre Botanical Garden. The International Peace Garden is located
north of Dunseith on the border between the USA border of North Dakota
and the Canadian border of Manitoba as a symbol of friendship as a “One
of a Kind” International Peace Garden. Reflecting pools and dazzling
colorful floral displays of over 150,000 flowers (in season) splash across
the grounds of the Formal Garden’s terraced walkways. (However,
in 2012 the two RV Gypsies discovered that June 10th is just too early
for most flowers to be blooming.)
The idea for the garden came from a Canadian member of the National
Association of Gardeners, Dr. Henry Moore, who wished to commemorate the
lengthy period of peace between the two nations.
The most visible monument is the Peace Tower, which was built in the
1980s as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations. The four pillars are
meant to signify the coming together of people from the four corners of
the world.
The state of North Dakota has The Peace Garden State as one of its nicknames,
and places this motto on its license plates. |
To reach the International Peace Garden,
the two RV Gypsies drove past the USA Border Patrol Station (no need to
stop) and just before the Canadian Border Patrol Station, they turned
left into the campground and garden area. When you enter
the International Peace Garden, you are technically leaving the
USA and Canada.
Leaving the International Peace Garden, a passport is needed to enter
the USA or to enter Canada. The International Peace Garden is partially
in the USA and partially in Canada. The two photos below were taken after
passing the USA boarder and before the Canadian border. So people leaving
the USA do not need to stop and show a passport, but to enter Canada,
they do need a passport. And people leaving Canada do not need to show
a passport, but they do have to show the passport to enter the USA. |
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Below: The entrance to the International
Peace Garden in-between the the United States of America border patrol
station and the Canadian border patrol station. |
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Below: The
Cairn is located directly on the United States and Canadian Border, flanked
by each country's flagpole on the designated side. The Cairn is built
of aboriginal hammerheads collected by children in the surrounding areas.
In July 17, 1960, the globe of red granite with etched meridian lines,
a gift from Great Northern Railway company of St. Paul, Minnesota, as
a memorial to its founder, Canadian born James J. Hill, was added to the
top of the Cairn.
On the face of the Cairn it states: “To God in His
Glory We two nations dedicate this garden and pledge ourselves that as
long as men shall live we will not take up arms against one another.''
The border runs through the ball, and continues all the way to the Peace
Tower which can be seen in the background of the photo. The Manitoba flag
is a bit behind the Canadian flag and the North Dakota flag is a bit behind
the USA flag, but they may not be easy to see in the photo below. |
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Below:
Looking from the other side of the monument shown above, towards the entrance
/ exit. |
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Behind
The Cairn, there is a map of the USA and a map of Canada in the circle
of the road. |
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Below 1st photo: Standing in the circle of
maps shown above, looking past the formal gardens, two of the four towers
can be seen. The Peace Poles in the foreground of the photo were presented
to the Garden by the Japanese Government, seven Peace Poles in which,
“May Peace Prevail” is written in twenty-eight different
languages.
The second photo below was taken looking back up at the Cairn, the flag
poles, and the entrance to the park. |
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Below: In 2012, the two RV Gypsies stopped
at a picnic area inside the International Peace Garden. It was a windy
and cold day, but the scenery was still beautiful. That's when they had
toad #2 which is otherwise known as MOB#2, Monster Out Back because it
was a long truck to tow behind an RV. The current toad in 2015 is MOB#4
- Minimal Of Bling because it lacks luxuries. |
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Below: The Peace Chapel
which is located on the far side of the towers. The photos are mostly
from 2012. Karen Duquette did not feel it necessary to retake the photos
in 2015. |
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The chapel features dozens of quotes from “People
of Peace” etched into beautiful fossil embellished limestone
walls. One example is shown below. |
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Below: In the distance, the 120-foot concrete Peace Tower. (2012 photos)
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The 120-foot Peace Tower symbolize people
from the four corners of the earth coming together to form two similar,
but distinct nations, with a common base of democracy and beliefs. Two
of The Peace Towers are in the United States and two are in Canada. |
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The 120 foot Peace Tower dwarfs the person standing near it. (2012
photo) |
Below: Looking up at the sky
from below the Peace Tower. (2012) |
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Below: Standing under the Peace Tower looking towards
the Peace Chapel, and then looking towards the garden area. (2012 photos) |
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Below: The legs and feet of the two RV Gypsies, each with
one foot in the USA and one foot in Canada. (2012 photo taken under the
Peace Tower) |
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 THE
TWO RV GYPSIES WERE SURPRISED TO SEE A FENCE AROUND THE TOWERS IN 2015
due to falling debris, so they must be torn down!
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The two RV Gypsies are very upset to know that this important
landmark will not be here much longer, even though they know that something
else will eventually replace it. They feel very privileged that they got
to actually stand under it in 2012. |
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The good news is that between the towers and the Peace
Chapel, there is an area and a pole where the two RV Gypsies were also
able to be in both the United States and Canada at the same time. |
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Below in 2012: Karen Duquette is seated by the pole with
one hand pointing to the USA side of the pole and one hand pointing to
the Canada side of the pole. |
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Below: Karen Duquette in 2015, in the USA
and Canada. |
Below: Karen is in the USA, and Lee is in Canada.
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Below: The pole showing which side is the
the USA side and which side is the Canadian side. |
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Below
- Peace literally rings in the International Peach Garden as the Carillon
Bell Tower rings every fifteen minutes and on
the hour. The familiar strains of Westminster Chimes can be heard throughout
the park. The beautiful resonant tones echo from the bells of the Sifton
Chime in the Veterans’ Memorial Bell Tower, which was erected in
1976. As a memorial to their mother, Lady Sifton’s four sons donated
the chimes to the First United Church of Brandon, Manitoba in 1932. When
the church reorganized in 1969, the chimes were donated to the International
Peace Garden. |
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IMPORTANT: Above photo of the Bell Tower
is from 2012.
The photo at the right is from 2015. |
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Below: Lee Duquette with the Carillon Bell Tower
in the distance in 2012.
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Below: Karen Duquette looks very small
next to the tall tower in 2015. |
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 A
carillon is a musical instrument that is typically housed
in the bell tower (belfry) of a church or municipal building. The instrument
consists of at least 23 cast bronze, cup-shaped bells, which are played
serially to produce a melody, or sounded together to play a chord. A traditional
manual carillon is played by striking a keyboard the stick-like keys of
which are called batons with the fists, and by pressing the keys of a
pedal keyboard with the feet. The keys mechanically activate levers and
wires that connect to metal clappers that strike the inside of the bells,
allowing the performer on the bells, or carillonneur/carillonist
to vary the intensity of the note according to the force applied to the
key.
The carillon is the heaviest of all extant musical instruments. In medieval
times, swinging bells were first used as a way of notifying people of
fires, storms, wars, and other events. A ringing of bells from the lowest
note to the highest note indicated that an attack had taken place. The
use of bells in a musical fashion originated in the 16th century in the
Low Countries. The first carillon was in Flanders, where a "fool" performed
music on the bells of Oudenaarde Town Hall in 1510 by making use of a
baton keyboard. The word "carillon" is from the French quadrillon,
meaning four bells. Bell towers were often used to alert the city of the
time of day, and just before the strike of the hour bell a few higher
tones were struck to gain the attention of the city-folk. |
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Below: Standing in front of the Bell Tower, the 120-foot
concrete Peace Tower, can be seen at the end of the formal garden. (2012
photos) |
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Below: Across the grassy area from the Bell Tower is
the 9/11 Memorial Site with twisted steel girders rescued from the World
Trade Center devastation. They rest there, a symbol of peace and democracy.
(2012 photos) |
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Below: New in 2015 - this piece of art is presently in
the gift shop area, by the cactus garden, but it will be moved to the
fountain soon. |
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Below: Another area where the two RV Gypsies stood in
one spot and was in both Canada and the USA at the same time in 2015.
They did see this spot in 2012. |
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Below; Karen Duquette ready to stand in two Countries
at the same time - Lee Duquette said she looked like a scarecrow. |
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Below: Karen Duquette was not sure what
Lee Duquette was thinking when he posed by the pole. |
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Below: Wow! Karen Duquette photographed a view of the
pole and the Peace Towers all in one photo. |
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