‘Handshake across the border’ to bring US, Canada together at International Peace Garden

DUNSEITH, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — Residents of the United States and Canada are invited to shake hands across the countries’ shared border on Saturday at the International Peace Garden near Dunseith, North Dakota.

The International Peace Garden, which straddles North Dakota and Manitoba, was founded in 1932 as a symbol of friendship between the two nations.

The garden’s CEO, Tim Chapman, said the handshake was organized to show that commitment to peace and cooperation is still alive, despite recent stressors on the relationship between the United States and Canada, like the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.

“It’s something we want to do every year,” Chapman said.

He said the garden is hoping for as many as 1,000 Americans and 1,000 Canadians to participate in the handshake, which is scheduled for 11 a.m. Students from Bottineau High School will sing both countries’ national anthems beforehand, Chapman said.

The event is part of the garden’s annual floral celebration. The full schedule for the day includes tours, a car show, scavenger hunts and other activities.

Vendors will also be there selling goods like flowers, art, homemade products and more. For more information, visit the garden’s website. The International Peace Garden is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The garden includes roughly 1,450 acres of Canadian land and about 900 acres of American land, with over 200 structures. Last year, it opened an expanded greenhouse featuring a collection of thousands of cacti and succulents.

Anyone interested in participating in the handshake is encouraged to get to the garden a bit before 11 a.m. since traffic is expected, said Chapman.

(Story written by Mary Steurer – North Dakota Monitor)