By Canadian Press

Too many visitors forces B.C. to shut park on Canada-U.S. boundary

Jun 18, 2020 | 3:27 PM

VANCOUVER — The British Columbia park that straddles the 49th parallel with Washington state will be closed because it’s overwhelmed with visitors using it as a cross-border meeting point.

The government says Peace Arch Provincial Park will be shut Thursday evening to address public safety and traffic concerns after the volume of visitors reached nearly twice the number counted on a peak summer day.

BC Parks says in a statement that it has consulted with RCMP, border officials and local communities to manage the growth with measures such as reducing park hours and installing a gate at the entrance.

It says that hasn’t addressed the risks associated with the significant increase in visitors from both sides of the border. 

The statement says BC Parks understands the importance of unification for families and friends from Canada and the United States, but changes to the Quarantine Act will help.

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The federal government is allowing immediate family members of Canadian citizens or permanent residents to enter Canada with a family members as long as they have no symptoms of COVID-19 and self-isolate for 14 days after arrival.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2020.

The Canadian Press