Since his return to office on Jan. 20, 2025, United States President Donald Trump’s incendiary comments about Canada have sparked an unprecedented level of concern about Canadian sovereignty. Trump has mused about using “economic force” to absorb Canada, and his on-again, off-again tariffs on Canadian goods have been seen by many as a fulfillment of this threat. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called Trump’s desire to absorb Canada a “real thing.”

Trump’s rhetoric and actions have incited uncertainty, apprehension and anger between Canada and the U.S., which sit on either side of the longest undefended border in the world. The communities most affected are likely to be those right on this divide, many of which are heavily reliant on the economy and resources of their neighbouring country and have counted on this interconnectedness for centuries.

The Peace Arch, on the border between Surrey, B.C., and Blaine, Washington, was built to commemorate the centennial of the end of the War of 1812 — the last open conflict between the U.S. and what is now Canada. The inscriptions on the arch read: “Children of a Common Mother,” “Brethren Dwelling Together in Unity,” and “May These Gates Never Be Closed.” The roughly 20-metre-high arch celebrates the long history of peace and friendship between these two countries.

“If they got it over 120 years ago, what right does this character have to come along and undermine all of that?” asks Brian Calder, resident of Point Roberts, Washington.