If we look across Boundary Bay, it is easy to see the community of White Rock, British Columbia. Yesterday, we decided to grab our passports and drive across the border to walk along the promenade and to the end of the White Rock Pier, which locals claim is the longest pier in British Columbia. The weather was just right for a stroll with blue skies, warm temperatures, and a light breeze. White Rock got its name from a giant 486-ton granite boulder on the beach. The large white rock stands out so much that it was used as a navigational aid by 19th-century sailors. Geologists call the rock a glacial erratic, which means it was transported by a glacier and deposited in its current location. The rock was believed to be carried south during the last ice age and deposited on the shore as the glaciers retreated.

A Semiahmoo First Nation legend says the rock was thrown across the water from Vancouver Island. The Semiahmoo call the rock P’Quals. The story of P’Quals is about a son of a sea god who fell in love with a woman who lived on the island. However, marriages between gods and humans were not permitted. Empowered by love, the young man picked up the huge rock and hurled it as far as he could, pledging that wherever it landed, he and his beloved would form a new community where they could marry and live. The rock landed right on the shore where the sea meets the land, making it a desirable location for a community.

Its current location is a few yards from where it stood for centuries. The rock's original location was in the path of the railroad. City leaders proposed moving the rock to the center of the town as a tourist attraction, but moving the rock that distance proved impossible. So, it was slid just enough to allow the tracks to be built and trains to pass safely.

White is not the natural color of the rock. There are many other glacial erratics around Drayton Harbor and Boundary Bay, though none nearly as large as White Rock. Most of them are dark gray. The ones regularly covered by sea water are adorned with seaweed when the tide is out. The giant rock is covered in guano from seabirds that eat a diet of shellfish. Layers upon layers of white guano covered the rock, giving it the distinctive white appearance that made it visible from miles out at sea. It was a landmark that was easily recognizable, whether approaching from land or sea.

According to a marker near the rock, a “mischief-maker” painted it black during the night in March 1950. The act prompted a community picnic to clean and paint the rock. The rock has been vandalized and painted black on other occasions, most recently in September 2020, when it was painted black with the words “Black Lives Matter” painted in white over the black. According to a Wikipedia article, city staff keep the rock white by periodically repainting it.

A bald eagle was perched atop a tower at the end of the pier. The bird might be one of the eagles we routinely see perched on a snag on Semiahmoo Spit on the American side of the bay. We joked that it was in Canada as part of an exchange program that allowed Canada geese to spend time on our side of the boundary. Perhaps the eagles switch places occasionally, given that it is currently an onerous task to defend freedom in the United States. After the Canadian national elections this week, the task of defending freedom in Canada seems like a much easier task than under the authoritarian regime in Washington, DC.

After walking on a warm spring day, some ice cream seemed in order, and White Rock is a good place to get ice cream. Every other storefront across from the promenade features ice cream. Parlors are boasting Italian ice cream and German ice cream. Another store boasts “nearly 50 flavors.” We chose Angel’s Ice Cream. We liked the name and read on a poster outside the store that it was voted “best ice cream.” We always find “best” titles to be a bit silly. Who voted? The owners and employees might have all voted the place to have the best ice cream. Other stores might have different opinions about whose ice cream is best. However, having tasted the ice cream at Angel’s, I find it excellent and the best I had yesterday.

It was a pleasant day with the only challenge being the long lines to return to the US. Going into Canada, there were no lines, and it took us just a couple of minutes to clear customs. Returning to the US, only three lanes were open at the 3rd busiest crossing between the two countries, and the lanes were moving very slowly. About a quarter of the cars entering had to open doors and trunks to allow the officer to take a look. After waiting in slow-moving lines for about 45 minutes, we passed through customs easily, and the officer asked us only one question: “Where have you been in Canada?” Assuming he meant where we had gone on this trip, we answered “White Rock,” which seemed to satisfy him, and we were waved through in just a minute or so. The cars behind us stretched for a mile, and still there were no lines of vehicles wanting to enter Canada.

NEXUS is a joint program of the U.S. and Canada that expedites border crossing. We could apply and become trusted travelers, allowing us to use the speedy lanes at the border and airports. We are considering applying for the card. The location of the interviews for US citizens is in our community and very convenient for us. We plan to continue to cross the border despite increased tensions. We are grateful to live on a peaceful border and appreciate our neighbors in Canada. British Columbia has many beautiful places to visit. And the ice cream is delicious.