“Every Step of the Way”
Statement by Setsuko Thurlow in support of the ‘Remembering Hiroshima: 80 km for 80 years’ peace walk from Pugwash–Truro, September 15–21, 2025
Every Step of the Way
Hiroshima and Nagasaki Poster Exhibition
Commemorating 80 Years for Disarmament
Dates: August 6–8, 2025
Location: Halifax City Hall
1841 Argyle Street
Kjipuktuk/Halifax
As a reminder all visitors to city hall must sign-in at the security desk, located at the main (Grand Parade) entrance of City Hall, this includes showing photo ID and providing a reason for your visit.
Wednesday, August 6 – Hiroshima Day
- 9:00 AM: Opening of Poster Exhibit
- Poetry
- Interactive Activities
- Light Refreshments
- 11:30 AM: Flag Raising & Proclamation
- 12:00 PM: Bells for Hiroshima
Join us for the full exhibit:
August 6, 7, and 8
9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Admission is free and open to all.
Together, we remember. Together, we walk toward peace.
The Science of Disarmament: Youth Conference
The Science of Peace and Disarmament: Youth Conference
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima — a pivotal moment in world history. In recognition of this anniversary, and in the spirit of global peace and education, we invite students to join us for a day of reflection, dialogue, and curriculum enrichment.
This youth conference launches the peace walk, “Remembering Hiroshima – 80 km for 80 Years”, and we are honoured that Mi’kmaq water protectors will open the events with a water ceremony and recognition of all we need to protect together for a sustainable future.
Who?
Representatives (4–5 students per high school) from Nova Scotia high schools (Grades 10–12).
Please register now to hold your spot — space is limited.
When?
Monday, September 15, 2025
Arrival: 9:30–10:00 AM
Departure: 2:00 PM
Lunch provided
Where?
Thinker’s Lodge, Pugwash, Nova Scotia
The first Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs were held at Thinker’s Lodge. These conferences to “Eliminate Nuclear Weapons” were initiated by Bertrand Russell and 10 scientists and humanitarians who authored the Russell–Einstein Manifesto in 1955. Albert Einstein sought to warn the world about the catastrophic dangers of nuclear weapons and advocate for peaceful resolutions to international conflicts.
What can we do together?
As community organizers, we hope to bring together a new generation to engage with the Pugwash story. On the 80th anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the unprecedented threat of nuclear war remains. Yet it is precisely the ongoing global efforts that have prevented further use of nuclear weapons since August 6 and 9, 1945.
What to Expect
- Keynote talks on nonviolence and connections to peace education, school culture, nuclear disarmament, and local issues of reconciliation and reparation
- Inspiring guest speakers and youth presentations
- Hands-on activities related to educating for peace — from the school environment to the international stage
- Time for discussion, reflection, and collaboration — including Canada’s “nuclear weapons free school” initiative
- Historic tour of Thinker’s Lodge, exploring its legacy in the peace movement
- Local lunch provided
Register
Contact
Kathrin Winkler
902-237-5709
winkler.kathrin2@gmail.com
Mi’kmaq Water/Land Protectors Leading the Peace Walk
- Dorene Bernard
- Marian Nichols
- Amy Maloney
Hosts
- Principal Shawn Brunton, Pugwash District High School
- Theresa Kewachuk, Pugwash Park Commissioner, Thinkers’ Lodge
- Kathrin Winkler, Nova Scotia Voice of Women for Peace
Speakers
- Lia Holla
- Reva Joshee
- Theresa Kewachuk
Facilitator
Natalie Abdou
Peace Walk 2025
PEACE WALK 2025: 80 km for 80 Years
Join us in remembering the past and walking toward a peaceful future.
Peace Walk Registration & Waiver Form
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. To honour this solemn milestone and renew our collective commitment to peace, Nova Scotia Voice of Women for Peace and Peace Quest Cape Breton invite you to participate in the “80 km for 80 Years Peace Walk.”
Led by Mi’gmaq water and land protectors, this walk will trace an 80 km route across Mi’kma’ki from Pugwash to Truro from September 15 to 21, culminating on the International Day of Peace.
🕊 Why We Walk:
- To remember Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
- To walk together across communities and cultures.
- To create space for truth, reconciliation, and reparative justice.
- To centre Indigenous and African Nova Scotian youth voices.
- To affirm our shared vision for a just and peaceful world.
Walkers will visit local schools, including Pugwash District High School—Canada’s only school declared “nuclear weapons free.” We’ll gather stories, foster intergenerational connections, and close with a celebration and community panel in Truro.
Route Highlights:
- Mon. Sept 15: Peace Hall (Tour of Thinker’s Lodge available)
- Tues. Sept 16: Walk to Wallace via local schools
- Wed. Sept 17: Wentworth
- Thurs. Sept 18: Folly Lake
- Fri. Sept 19: Debert (Tour of Debert Bunker and Mi’kmawey Trail)
- Sat. Sept 20: Arrive in Truro
- Sun. Sept 21: Community celebration and panel event
📄 Download the Invitation PDF
📄 Download the Poster PDF
To join or learn more, email:
nsvoiceofwomen@gmail.com
winkler.kathrin2@gmail.com
Let’s walk together for peace, justice, and the generations to come.
If you would like to participate in the Peace Walk, please fill out the form below. We will be in touch with more information.
Walking Together for Peace: Honouring Nova Scotia’s Legacy of Disarmament
On September 8, 2024, the Canadian Voice of Women for Peace (VOW), alongside Science for Peace and Jai Jagat, began a powerful two-week, 200 km Walking Together for Peace journey from Halifax to Pugwash.
This walk is deeply symbolic: it connects today’s peace movement with the historic Thinker’s Lodge in Pugwash, the site of the groundbreaking 1957 conference that brought scientists from both East and West together to oppose nuclear weapons. That meeting sparked the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, later awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1995.
Why We Walk
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To call on nations to sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, renewing the global push for disarmament.
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To stand in solidarity with the Jai Jagat movement, whose roots in India’s Gandhian peace marches continue to inspire a global culture of nonviolence and justice.
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To mark September’s International Day of Peace (Sept. 21), when over 100 peace walks took place worldwide.
Walking, as Jai Jagat teaches, is more than movement—it’s meditation, unity, and a living message of peace. Each step carries a commitment: to a world free from nuclear weapons, to climate and social justice, and to a culture of peace for future generations.
A Global Connection
This Nova Scotia walk is part of a broader, international campaign to resist militarism and nuclear escalation at a time when world tensions are rising. By walking together, we continue the work of past generations and extend an invitation to all who believe in peace: join us, learn with us, and walk for a world without war.
Read the full article here: Activists Walk Together for Peace in Nova Scotia