49th Parallel

Hey everyone, I've moved a long way since my last post and here I am on the 49th Parallel. This is the border between the USA and Canada, and it is the longest undefended border in the world! More precisely, I am about 100km south of the town of Brandon in Manitoba, where I'm attending a conference. And Brandon (population c. 50,000) is the second largest town in the province out there alone on the endless Prairies. It is, of course, high summer and temperatures are hovering around 30C, but I think it could be an area to avoid in winter when maxima average -15C and occasionally they drop to -30C!

Anyway we took a trip across the wheat and canola growing Prairies south to the 49th Parallel to visit the Peace Garden on the border, a park owned and managed by the two countries together to ...er... celebrate the mutual respect of one country for the other and the fact that they have not been to war. On  the US side there's the state of North Dakota, but both sides look identical with their gently undulating to flat landscapes, meadows and woodlands.

The attached pictures show something of the garden which is laid out formally and pretty well manicured. Several of the pictures I took, including the first and last shown here, were taken with one foot in Manitoba and one in South Dakota, for the facility is common property. By the way, the left side is ND and the right side is MTBA because the picture was taken facing westwards. One could wander into and out of both countries at will.

I was standing in the USA (left) and Canada simultaneously to take this. The 49th Parallel goes through the middle of the distant towers.

There were lots of flower beds with themes ... this the Canadian flag.

Emily and Greg will know what this is since they were married in one!

The 49th P lies in the middle of this photo with polarities reversed: ND is on the right.

AS