Handshakes affirm cross-border bond

INTERNATIONAL PEACE GARDEN — Dozens of people shook the hands of their international neighbours on Saturday to show solidarity and that their countries remain friends.

About 200 Canadians and Americans shook hands, shared names and stories and laughed while straddling the 49th parallel at the International Peace Garden between Boissevain and Dunseith, N.D.

“It’s just important to be out and be neighbourly,” said David Klein, from Jamestown, N.D.

“I think that our nations should be friends,” added Matt Eriksen, who is from Bismarck, N.D.

The Handshake Across the Border was started last year to show that despite the political tensions between Canada and the U.S., residents of the countries still support one another.

Tensions mounted early last year after U.S. President Donald Trump took office, imposing tariffs on Canadian goods and threatening to make Canada the U.S.’s 51st state.

Trump’s threats to annex Canada have largely dwindled, but tariff threats have continued as international free-trade negotiations have ramped up.

Just last week, Trump called Canada’s leadership “nasty.”

Fargo, N.D. resident Bryan Sims said despite what political leaders demonstrate, “We, as North Dakotans, as Americans, (we) embrace our Canadian neighbours.

“When we come in contact at a border like this, I think it shows through.”

Sims said being at the event shows that people are here to support their neighbours.

“You see it through the conversations you hear. It’s great. It’s great to know everyone’s story,” Sims said.

People from as far as California and New Mexico attended the event. Most people attended as they were already in the area for the weekend, while some from nearby communities made a special trip.

Minneapolis resident Mikel Christianson said he didn’t know about the handshake line until about five minutes before it started, but the cause is great and he was happy to be a part of it.

“I think it’s great to demonstrate that solidarity and camaraderie that you would have between any groups of people,” Christianson said.

He said he was on the first part of his trip to the Arctic coast in Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T., which is also part of his goal to visit every American and Canadian capital.

A lot of people and media focus on the negative, he said, but nearly everyone he’s met in the U.S. and Canada has been friendly, welcoming and helpful.

Christianson said it’s “too bad” an event like this one has to happen in order to show support.

“That’s the situation, so I think it’s turning a negative into a positive — It’s a really good thing,” he said.

Brandon resident Karen Lewthwaite said the event is “really quite moving,” and she has met a lot of interesting people.

“There’s so much division, and so to shake hands with a bunch of people from the U.S. and talk to them … I think it’s a good thing,” Lewthwaite said.

There wasn’t a single person at the event who reflects the divisiveness seen in the U.S., she said.

“We’ve been friends with the U.S. for forever, and this last number of years is really distressing, so I think it’s just a show of goodwill, and you do it one person at a time, one handshake at a time,” she said.

The CEO of the garden, Tim Chapman, said while smaller handshake events have happened in the past, last year’s event was really billed as the “first annual” edition, as trade disputes and rhetoric caused tensions among the two countries.

“If you give people an opportunity to come together, they will,” Chapman said.

He said an event like this would always be important, but that importance is magnified with uncertainty.

“Bringing folks together and seeing them interact face-to-face is inspiring for everyone,” Chapman said. “And it really does kind of prove that point when you get people together and not just behind their screens or keyboards, you see a lot more civility and a lot more willingness to understand and put aside differences to recognize the similarities.”

For another American resident, the handshake was important to “acknowledge and apologize” for her country’s behaviour toward Canada.

“It’s important for regular people to come and show their support for each other and make sure that there’s no animosity,” said Julie Gittings from State College, Pa.

» alambert@brandonsun.com