In 1931 Rotarians, members of Rotary International, from Montana and Alberta organized a movement to establish an international peace park between the United States and Canada. The planned peace park was to be comprised of Glacier National Park and Waterton Lakes National Park. At an assembly of Rotarians at the Prince of Wales hotel in Waterton, the peace park plan was launched by a resolution introduced by Rev. Canon S. H. Middleton of Cardston, Alberta, and forwarded by H. B. Mitchell, president of the Great Falls, Montana, Rotary club. Ultimately, the resolution passed after the 100 Rotarians in attendance, many of whom represented cities from Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Montana, voted in support.

Following the successful passage of the resolution, the movement petitioned the governments of the United States and Canada to establish the parks as a permanent international peace park. In the Canadian Parliament, the petition was successfully passed through the efforts of Brigadier General J. S. Stewart, who represented Alberta. Simultaenously, Scott Leavitt, an active Rotarian and the U.S. representative of Montana’s second congressional district, successfully led the effort to pass the petition in the United States Congress. In 1932 Rotarians formally dedicated the neighboring parks as the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park.

The Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park Association (WGIPPA) represents the continued involvement of Rotary International in its peace park initiative between the United States and Canada since the inception of the peace park project in 1931. Comprised of Rotary clubs in districts 5080, 5360, 5370, and 5390, WGIPPA holds annual meetings and other events such as the “Hands Across the Borders” ceremony. These annual gatherings and ceremonies alternate each year between Glacier Park and Waterton Park.