International Peace Garden: 50th Anniversary

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

This booklet by Shipley, a Winnipeg author with 14 works to her credit, marks the fiftieth anniversary of a garden and recreational site that spans the border between Manitoba and North Dakota.

The International Peace Garden is an extensive area of formal gardens, nature trails, campgrounds, picnic areas, and youth camps. The booklet, in typical tourist-brochure style, describes the main features, praising the beauty of the site and the dedication of those, past and present, who contributed to the development of the project.

As a history, it is too brief and sketchy to be of more than superficial value. The anecdotes and details that bring history to life are missing. The photos (reproduced in color) are technically adequate but totally unimaginative.

The main value of the work is as a souvenir of a visit to the garden, although libraries in the area will want it for their local history collections.