Located along the United States-Canadian border between Dunseith, N.D., and Boissevain, Manitoba, the International Peace Garden is one of North America’s most symbolic and stunning living attractions. With nearly 2,400 acres of indoor and outdoor displays, hiking trails and a museum, the property is a unique tribute to worldwide friendship and brotherhood.

Flower power

          The seed for the International Peace Garden was planted in 1928 when Dr. Henry J. Moore, a horticulturalist from Islington, Ontario, developed the idea of creating a garden across an international border so people could come together to celebrate enduring friendship and camaraderie between adjoining nations. The following year, he pitched the idea to the National Association of Gardeners, a U.S. organization, at a meeting in Toronto: After gaining approval for the project, a committee formed to find a location for Moore’s utopian landscape. Those involved wanted to find a space near the geographical center of the continent, and when they saw the undeveloped property just south of the Manitoba Forest Reserve, they knew they had found the perfect place.

          “What a sight greeted the eye!” Moore reportedly said. “Those undulating hills rising out of the limitless prairies are filled with lakes and streams. On the south of the unrecognizable boundary, wheat everywhere … What a place for a garden!”

          After securing 1,451 acres from Manitoba and 888 from North Dakota, a dedication ceremony was held on July 14, 1932, with 50,000 people in attendance from both countries.

Although it was born in the middle of the Great Depression, work on the IPG continued thanks in part to the efforts of 300 Civilian Conservation Corps workers who helped clear the land and constructed the first buildings on the property – the barracks in which they would sleep. The CCC also began work on the Historic Lodge using native building materials from the area, including granite from the Turtle Mountains of North Dakota and timber from the mountains of Manitoba. Between 1934 and 1941, the CCC built an impressive number of picnic shelters, open-air fireplaces, roads, bridges, and trails, as well as an amphitheater.

          Work on the IPG halted during World War II, but in 1948 development continued thanks to funding from the U.S. and Canadian governments as well as donations from private organizations and service groups who believed in the IPG’s mission and wanted to help promote its message of flower power.

Stunning scenery

          Spread across 3.65 square miles, the IPG is a year-round destination with something for everyone. Central to the property are the formal gardens that feature 80,000 flowering annuals and perennials. It is in the formal gardens where one will find the iconic Floral Clock donated by the Bulova Company in 1964. With a diameter of 18 feet and 2,000 annual flowers included on its face, the floral clock is a duplicate of the original one located in Bern, Switzerland. Visitors can also enjoy sunken gardens, a kitchen garden, fountains, a statuary and more.

          “The beauty and peace here is second to none! The sunken garden has layer after layer of flowers and wave after wave of perfume,” Bismarck, N.D., resident Diana Hoffman said after her visit. “The succulents in the conservatory are overwhelming in numbers and sizes.”

          The 9/11 memorial in the garden honors the lives that were lost with steel remnants from the collapsed towers of the World Trade Center. Donated by Rotary International, the North American Firefighters Union and Manitoba Infrastructure annual remembrance events take place at the site, which is sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of Minot and Brandon, Manitoba.

          Echoing from the bells of the Sifton Chime in the Veteran’s Memorial Bell Tower, erected in the garden in 1976, the Westminster Chimes are one of only four such bells in the world. Donated to the IPG from the Central United Church of Brandon in 1969 when the church reorganized, they mark each quarter hour of the day and make a beautiful sound across the grounds.

          The Peace Chapel, built in 1968, is on the west end of the formal gardens and is sponsored by the General Grand Chapter Order of the Eastern Star. It is constructed from Manitoba limestone and inscribed with words of peace, and its fragility, from international leaders. It also features imported French glass panels. While it is often used for formal gatherings, everyone is invited to come in and pray for peace throughout the world.

Those who visit the IPG say it is a wonderful testament to the long-lasting relationship between the U.S. and Canada.

          “I definitely recommend stopping by this beautiful, peaceful garden,” said Penny Hutton in her Facebook review of the IPG. “The sunken garden layout is breathtaking, and we especially enjoyed the biking routes … Staff everywhere were friendly and welcoming … I’d definitely come back.” “This place is a gem! So many things to see and experience here and the idea that it is a monument to peace between two countries located literally on the border is really cool. Don’t miss it!” Tim Wollenzien said in his review.

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