The 80 km Peace Walk from Pugwash to Truro, Nova Scotia commemorated the
80th anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in every step by sharing the urgent call
for nuclear disarmament.
War has not, nor will it ever be, an answer to conflict and weapons of mass
destruction and militarization limit what we can do together to heal the land and care
for one another. Although our walk may not seem proportionate to the shudder of
despair that violence, displacement and war injects into lives, it is an ember that with
countless other efforts for peace, fans the flame of stubborn resistance. We walked
across Mi’kma’ki for 5 days in glorious sunshine, with hundreds of cars and trucks
honking in solidarity between school visits and evenings at community halls.
We began at the Thinkers Lodge in Pugwash, the site where the first meetings
bringing together 22 scientists from 10 countries were held in 1957. To this day, we
are grateful to that initiative for disarmament and the move toward abolition of all
nuclear weapons that continues to roll out from the courage of an alternative vision
for peace. This lineage of truth continues, and is echoed in the statement “Waking
the Sleepwalkers: A Call to Action not Arms” issued by Dr. Sean Howard, Peace
Quest Cape Breton on behalf of the Peace Walk. We achieved our goal by involving
youth in understanding the incredible history of Thinkers Lodge against the
backdrop of their concerns and awareness of climate change, social upheaval and the
gruesome daily reports of warfare and suffering in Gaza and beyond. Let them
exercise their optimism in establishing nuclear weapons free schools across Canada,
like the incredible initiative at Pugwash District High School!
The “Science of Peace and Disarmament” Youth Conference included 68 students
and staff from 7 high schools, 7 peace walkers from India and Canada and many
volunteers and supporters. Dartmouth and Auburn HS travelled by bus from
Halifax. Parrsboro, Springhill, Pugwash and Hants County schools were
represented. Activities and discussions were guided by Lia Holla, former Executive
Director of IPPNW, and VOW National Coordinator Alley McDonald. Teresa
Kewachuk gave a tour of Thinkers Lodge and Dr. Reva Joshee, Co-director of the
Mahatma Gandhi Foundation for World Peace, shared the Gandhian path of ahimsa.
(link to video of conference below) “A Gift of Peace” kit and flags were distributed to
3 elementary schools en route, with students joining our march around their schools.
Beginning and ending with youth involvement, we shared words of encouragement
along the way from Setsuko Thurlow’s statement (included below).
“Every Step of the Way”.
“I was excited to hear about the peace walk from Pugwash to Truro, beginning today
and concluding on the United Nations International Day of Peace, and I am happy to
provide this short statement of support and encouragement.
You have chosen to walk for 80 kilometres to mark the 80 agonizing years of an
atomic age that began with the destruction by one Bomb of my beloved hometown of
Hiroshima, followed by a similar Hell unleashed on Nagasaki. I was thirteen, buried
under rubble while hundreds of my schoolmates burned to death, many crying
piteously for their mothers, their young lives stolen by weapons so absurdly
destructive they threaten the very life of Mother Earth herself.
Miraculously, a stranger reached and called out to me, urging me to crawl toward the
light, to keep on moving. I emerged, into an Inferno, and began to walk my survivor’s
journey.
I am happy that you are reaching out at every stage of your walk to young people, for
whom Hiroshima and Nagasaki can seem like ancient history, but who must be told
the truth about what nuclear weapons are and can do, to bodies, to cities, to the
climate, to the world. I also know that part of your message is directed at the
government of my adopted country of Canada. My message is the same: Prime
Minister Carney, the most important sign of peace you can make today is to sign the
Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, the TPNW, adopted by two-thirds of
all UN states in 2017, on a bright summer day in New York I described as “the
beginning of the end of nuclear weapons.” And Prime Minister, the worst signal you
could send would be to drag Canada into President Trump’s delusional ‘Golden
Dome’ missile ‘defence’ programme, which would provide no defence at all but, at
the cost of tens of billions of dollars that could be so much better spent, will only
bring disaster closer. The only defence against nuclear war is nuclear disarmament:
the only freedom from the threat is to abolish it.
I commend the efforts of Voice of Women Nova Scotia, Peace Quest Cape Breton, and all those organizations and individuals, from across and far beyond Nova Scotia, involved in this bold and important initiative. I will be with you in spirit every step of the way: let us all keep moving, in all our different ways, away from the brink of nuclear annihilation and toward the light of peace on Earth. Setsuko Thurlow
Hiroshima Survivor, Recipient of the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the International
Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)
Wallace Consolidated School Peace Flag (IGINIP Project support)
The Peace Walkers left Pugwash on Tuesday, September 16, cheered on their way by
elementary students, teachers and principal from Cyrus Eaton Elementary school. A
rousing call and response of “If we want peace, work for justice” sent us off to
Wallace by the Sea, 20 km along the beautiful coast of Nova Scotia. The Pugwash
farmers market donated vegetables and baked goods for our “Peace Soup”, and in
Wentworth we held a “Peace by Cricket” game. Upon arrival in Debert, we visited the
reconstructed cold war Debert Nuclear Bunker, now containing subterranean luxury
suites for the disillusionary billionaires who hold onto the imagined privilege of
escape from a nuclear winter.
We visited and honoured the land at the Mi’kmawey Interpretive Trail, which is near
one of the most significant Indigenous archeological sites on Turtle Island. Some
artifacts date back 11,000 to 13,500 years. The intersection of protection against a
nuclear holocaust must be woven into honouring Mi’kmaw teachings as we walk
the land. Water is life. Topics of nonviolent protection and solutions to conflict are
essential for a nuclear weapons free planet and actions in Nova Scotia where a
provincial government prioritises old narratives of extraction industries and forestry
that includes glyphosate spraying. We are grateful to the front line Mi’kmaw Water
and Land protectors.
From Debert we walked to Truro. A cultural festival was taking place and we
participated. Imagine our surprise when we met a woman, born in Hiroshima, whose
parents suffered the atomic bomb catastrophe. In the ruins of school yards there,
children and teachers planted gardens to ward off the famine that followed the bomb.
She shared her mother’s words that “as children we had to dig up the ground and
found so many bones … your school is built on bones.” This conversation, and those
with many others en route, were in accord that nuclear weapons must be eliminated
and that in fact everyone we spoke to at this grassroots level, rejected weapons of
mass destruction and the criminal slaughter of civilians. By investing in the
manufacturing of weapons without citizen input to resist , we are robbing the
present and the future. Defence spending in Canada is estimated at $150 billion
annually (by 2035) and trying to sell the lie that weapons bring protection depletes
our ability to tackle the real threat of climate change. In fact the Canadian military
has a significant environmental impact, being the largest emitter of greenhouse gases
(GHGs) among federal departments.
So let’s encourage new visions of nonviolence and peace. Halifax Regional
Municipality, Cape Breton Regional Municipality, and the Town of Antigonish
support the call of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons for all
states, including Canada, to join the 2017 UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear
Weapons (TPNW), now ratified by 74 states and signed by 95 states. The Halifax
Proclamation for August 6 echoes the yearning for nuclear disarmament, yet hosting
the Davis Cup, DEVSEC (Canada’s second largest weapons trade fair), the Halifax
Security Forum and NATO’s Diana project as a Mayor for Peace demands further
discussion with Mayor Fillmore.
Before joining the Draw the Line rally in Truro, we had an arrival celebration held at
the Unity Room at the Truro Library with “Black Girl Magic”, an empowerment
program for African Nova Scotian youth. Children and teachers prepared a powerful
“Peace Puzzle” with facts about Hiroshima and the Peace Movement and we
presented our experience of the Peace Walk over pizza and juice. This joyful and
lively celebration included plans to take further steps together with more peace
actions.
On Sunday the Peace Walkers enjoyed a spectacular community breakfast followed
by participation in a moving service at St. Andrew’s United Church ending in our
public vigil in the Truro Civic Square.
As we arrived at the square we saw dozens of young cadets and veterans in full dress
uniform. They were gathering for a commemoration of the Battle of Britain, and after
some determined negotiations, we were able to speak to them – again beginning
with the powerful statement that SetsukoThurlow sent for our support. Our hope for
peace and protection for these and all young people has been shared and now ripples
out … and we are so grateful to all of you, our supporters. The support by funders let us reach far and aspire even further. We look forward to sharing and continuing the
story of these remarkable days together for peace!
In gratitude Nova Scotia Voice of Women for Peace, Sarah Morgan, Paul
Schwartzentruber, Ajit Rajagopal, Nitin Sonawane, Ann Verrall, Elizabeth Eve, Mary
Ann Walsh, Jill Carr-Harris, Sue Adams, Colleen Cameron, Elaine MacLean, Reva Joshee, John Caraberis, Bonnie Bond
WE ARE DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR SUPPORTERS INCLUDING
Canadian Voice of Women for Peace
International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War
Sisters of St. Martha of Antigonish, Nova Scotia
Science for Peace
Peace Quest Cape Breton
Canadian Pugwash Group
Halifax Quakers
Individual donors
Nova Scotia Voice of Women for Peace
Mahatma Gandhi Canadian Foundation for World Peace
Thinkers Lodge
Simons Foundation
Etka Parishad
International Gandhian Institute for Nonviolence and Peace Canada
Wallace Community Centre
Wentworth Recreation Centre
St. Andrew’s United Church Truro
Debert Community Centre
Peace Hall Pugwash
Maggie’s Place Wentworth
Pugwash Farmers’ Market
International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons
Fusion Indian Cuisine Pugwash
Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom
Conference Support and Music from Dal Students:
Mathilde Joncas,Raphaelle Boivin,Flavie Dubé,Eva Carmichael,Alexandra Westgard, Debbie Castle and David Fletcher
Website and Documentary Filming: It has been an incredible boost to this work that
we have excellent support in documenting our peace work and in sharing it on our web
site thanks to Stephanie Osberg. We will continue to follow up with schools using films
made by Ann Verrall. Please take a look at the first one in the Peace Walk 2025 series:
The “Science of Peace and Disarmament” Youth Conference.
Peace Quest Cape Breton: The 2025 Peace Walk: Remembering Hiroshima was
supported in many ways by Peace Quest Cape Breton. The statement written and
issued by Dr. Sean Howard as well as the drafting of the HRM Proclamation (see
below) for both Sydney and Halifax were instrumental in reaching the public and in
inspiring all of us. Thank you Dr. Howard!
THE PROCLAMATION: HIROSHIMA MEMORIAL DAY
Proclamation
Hiroshima Memorial Day
August 6th, 2025
WHEREAS: August 6th, 2025, marks the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, followed three days later by the atomic bombing of Nagasaki;
WHEREAS: Hundreds of thousands of civilians died in these attacks, and tens of thousands of survivors, or “hibakusha,” have suffered from the wounds, disabilities, diseases, and other traumatic impacts of the explosions;
WHEREAS: Today’s 12,100 nuclear weapons, possessed by nine states, are equal in their destructive power to hundreds of thousands of Hiroshimas;
WHEREAS: Numerous recent scientific studies confirm that even a so-called ‘limited’ nuclear war would, in addition to killing millions of people, cause a global famine and massive damage to the global environment and climate;
WHEREAS: There are no credible means of defense against nuclear attack and no possibility for any level of government to adequately respond to such an attack. Any use of nuclear weapons in war would be contrary to international humanitarian law and the law of armed conflict;
WHEREAS: Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and threats to use nuclear weapons illustrates how possessing such weapons, far from deterring conventional war, acts to embolden aggression and incite proliferation;
WHEREAS: Since 2014, the Halifax Regional Municipality has been a member of Mayors for Peace, based in Hiroshima, which now has 8,487 members from 166 countries, including 113 municipalities in Canada;
WHEREAS: HRM supports the call of Mayors for Peace for all states, including Canada, to join the 2017 UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), now ratified by 73 states and signed by 94 states;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that I, Mayor Andy Fillmore, on behalf of Halifax Regional Council, proclaim August 6th, 2025, as “Hiroshima Memorial Day” in the Halifax Regional Municipality. A day to remember the devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, and to renew our commitment to ending the threat to human civilization, and all life on Earth, posed by nuclear weapons.
Dated at Halifax, Nova Scotia
This 6th day of August, 2025 _____________________________Andy Fillmore, Mayor
And a last thought:
“Utopia is on the horizon. I move two steps closer; it moves two steps further away. I walk
another ten steps and the horizon runs ten steps further away. As much as I may walk, I’ll
never reach it. So what’s the point of utopia? The point is this: to keep walking.”
― Eduardo Galeano