Canadians continue to visit the American side of Peace Arch Historical State Park south of Metro Vancouver despite the closure of the Canadian side of the border park to control the spread of coronavirus.
B.C.'s Peace Arch Provincial Park was shut on June 18 after crowds of people gathered in the green space straddling the 49th parallel, but the U.S. side of the park remains open.
And Washington State immigration lawyer Len Saunders says there's little Canadian officials can do to stop the foot traffic due to a treaty signed in 1814.
Saunders said the treaty stipulates there could not be any boundaries or physical barriers erected on the northern border of the U.S. — and if either side violated that treaty — the boundaries revert back to pre-treaty.
"So if the Canadian government decides that they want to cut off the Peace Arch park from Canadians entering from Zero Avenue by putting up a physical barrier, then technically the United States can claim back part of Southern Ontario and Quebec, under this treaty which would be broken," he said.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british- ... -1.5635031
