TORONTO CITY HALL: The Hiroshima Nagasaki Day Coalition (HNDC) will mark the 81st Anniversary Commemoration of the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6, 2026 at the City Hall Peace Garden on Nathan Phillips Square.
Nuclear weapons are the most inhumane and indiscriminate weapons ever created. They violate international law, cause severe environmental damage, undermine national and global security, and divert vast public resources away from meeting human needs. They must be eliminated urgently. International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons(ICAN) Reflecting on “Security in Peace”, Cesar Jaramillo, Executive Director of the SANE Policy Institute, will speak of the road to nuclear weapons abolition in a world of increased global tensions. Perspectives of Canadian youth on the topic of nuclear disarmament will be shared.
Musical presentations will be offered by Japanese Canadian youth choral group Ganbare and renowned flautist Ron Korb. Messages from Mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki will be shared along with our Toronto Mayor’s Proclamation. The Story of Sadako’s Peace Cranes will be presented by Yui Ugai, Dance Artist/Actor.
The Commemoration will take place 6:30 to 8:30 pm, ending with a reflective lantern ceremony to honour the memories of those harmed by the bombings. Setsuko Thurlow’s book “Never Silent: A Hiroshima Survivor’s Story”, written for youth aged 11-13, will be offered for sale, with copies signed by the author. There will be opportunities to learn about peace initiatives and create lanterns and peace cranes at Community and Craft tables on site from 4:30 to 6:30 pm. This free, family friendly event invites the public to join in remembering the past and advocating for a nuclear weapons-free future.
The TPNW (Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons) can serve as a key forum through which non-nuclear-weapon states develop more coordinated, creative, and effective ways to push for nuclear disarmament. SANE Policy Institute “Canada and the Atom Bomb” photo exhibition will be on display in the Toronto City Hall Rotunda, 10 am to 4 pm daily, August 4 – 10 (closed Sunday). The exhibit features 100 photographs documenting Canada’s participation in the Manhattan Project. It can also be viewed online at the Toronto Metropolitan University website https://hiroshima.imagearts.torontomu.ca/canada-and-the-atom-bomb/
For further information please contact Rosemary Keenan, Chair of the Hiroshima Nagasaki Day Coalition, at prmkeenan@gmail.com
Website: https://hiroshimadaycoalition.ca/