This August, Nova Scotia Voice of Women for Peace invites you to Halifax City Hall for two days of remembrance, learning, and hope for a nuclear-free future.
You’re invited: Day of Peace at Halifax City Hall, August 6 & 7.
Some anniversaries ask us to pause. On August 6 and 9, 1945, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki killed more than 210,000 civilians — women, children, seniors, Koreans, Chinese, American prisoners of war, and so many others whose lives ended in an instant or in the long, painful years that followed. Eight decades later, we gather not only to mourn, but to learn, and to recommit ourselves to the work of peace.
This year, Nova Scotia Voice of Women for Peace is proud to host the Hiroshima–Nagasaki Poster Display at Halifax City Hall. Donated by the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, the collection of 30 posters tells the story of how the atomic bombs were created, the human toll of the explosions, and why our concern about nuclear war can become a source of energy for action and peacebuilding rather than despair.
What to expect
The display is free and open to the public across both days. Each afternoon, we’ll screen the documentary The Vow from Hiroshima, which follows survivor and peace activist Setsuko Thurlow and her lifelong commitment to abolishing nuclear weapons. Families are warmly welcome — children’s activities will be available throughout, along with light refreshments compliments of the ever-wonderful Halifax Raging Grannies.
Then, on Friday at noon, please join us at Grand Parade as we raise the Peace Flag in a brief ceremony that includes a reading of the HRM Proclamation, “Day of Peace.” It’s a small, meaningful moment of public witness — a chance to stand together and say, plainly, that we choose peace.
📅 When: Thursday, August 6 & Friday, August 7, 9:30 am – 4:00 pm
🎟️ Admission: Free and open to the public. Please bring photo ID for entry.
Share the word: Hiroshima–Nagasaki Poster Display, HRM City Hall.
Why we gather
Remembrance is not only about looking back. The posters, the film, and the flag all point in the same direction: toward the world we still have the power to shape. As long as nuclear weapons exist, the events of 1945 remain a warning that belongs to all of us. Coming together — to look, to learn, to grieve, and to imagine something better — is itself an act of peacebuilding.
We look forward to your presence.
Presented by Nova Scotia Voice of Women for Peace, with Peace Quest Cape Breton, The Simons Foundation Canada, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, Science for Peace, CRED NB, and the Halifax Regional Municipality.
SeaLight SkyLight is a celebration of science, creative arts, and the natural world, inspired by Ship Harbour’s spectacular dark night sky and the magic of ocean bioluminescence.
This annual, family-friendly festival brings together live music, astronomy and art workshops, environmental displays, and a candle-lit procession to the waterfront for performances — and, fingers crossed, a glimpse of glowing waters beneath the stars.
What to Expect
Live music and creative performances
Astronomy activities and night-time telescope observation
Art and science workshops for all ages
Environmental displays and hands-on learning
A candle-lit procession to the waterfront after dark
Guided opportunities to experience the Peace Pavilion
The Peace Pavilion
Throughout the day, visitors are invited on short guided walks to the Peace Pavilion in the Deanery woods — a quiet space for reflection and connection that has become part of the Deanery’s evolving peace-centered programming.
These gentle pauses offer moments of stillness alongside the celebration, inviting peace to walk alongside curiosity, creativity, and community. (You can link the words “Peace Pavilion” here to the page you just created.)
Food & Accessibility
Noor’s Mediterranean Restaurant will be on site with delicious food available for purchase from 1:30 PM – 7:00 PM.
SeaLight SkyLight is an alcohol- and drug-free event.
The majority of festival activities will take place indoors, with the exception of:
Guided walks to the Peace Pavilion
Outdoor field activities
Night-time telescope observation
The candle-lit waterfront procession
Please dress warmly and be prepared for outdoor movement. This is a rain-or-shine event.
Stay Connected
A detailed schedule will be shared closer to the event date. Follow along on Facebook, Instagram, and our website for updates.
You’re invited to celebrate community creativity at the Annual Mount Community Show at MSVU.
Opening Reception
Date: Thursday, December 11
Time: 12:00 noon
Location: MSVU Main Gallery
The reception is a casual, drop-in event and refreshments will be served.
Members of NSVOW and the Raging Grannies will be there, sharing our Nocturne installation commemorating the 80th anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki:
“Lifting Peace Off the Ground”
We’re inviting the whole community to help grow this piece by contributing handmade textile butterflies to cover a life-sized human shadow figure in the gallery.
Please also visit our website at nsvow.org to learn more about our work for peace and justice.
About Lifting Peace Off the Ground
Lifting Peace Off the Ground was inspired by peace activist Muriel Duckworth.
We are all living under the ongoing threat of nuclear mass destruction. Together, we can urge our governments to pick up the frayed thread of nuclear diplomacy, rather than tighten the noose of new weapons projects.
In this piece:
A human shadow on the floor represents the terrifying horror and suffering experienced in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where human lives were incinerated.
Butterflies represent transformation and beauty — both are needed to rewrite the story toward peaceful solutions to conflict around the world.
We hope to cover the entire shadow in butterflies made by community members and friends near and far.
How to participate
We welcome butterflies that are:
Made from any textile: scraps of cloth, embroidery, felting, quilting, patchwork, fabric paint, etc.
Maximum size: 8 cm x 8 cm (we’re flexible, but small is helpful!)
If you’d like to contribute a butterfly or a batch of butterflies, please email: 📧 winkler.kathrin2@gmail.com for more information.
Many thanks to:
Fatima and the Muslim Women’s Study group for the beautiful crocheted white poppies
Firhana in Newfoundland for the gorgeous felted butterfly pockets
Thousand Harbours Zen – 千湊寺 for the connection to Nora, who created the human shadow
And to all who have already stitched, folded, felted, and dreamed peace with us.
Every November, Halifax becomes the backdrop for conversations about global security — but not all of those conversations reflect our commitments to peace, safety, or the dignity of communities affected by war. This year, community members from across Mi’kma’ki are gathering to say clearly: No Peace, No Safety with the Halifax Security Forum.
The Halifax Security Forum brings military leaders, political figures, and defence contractors into our city each year. For many residents, this gathering doesn’t represent “security” — it represents the normalization of global militarization and the ongoing harm caused by war, occupation, and escalating violence around the world.
Halifax has a deep history of peace work, grassroots organizing, and standing in solidarity with people resisting oppression. From our local Peace & Friendship Treaties to ongoing mobilizations connected to global justice movements, Nova Scotians know that real safety is rooted in community care, diplomacy, accountability, and demilitarization.
A Community Gathering for Peace
On Saturday, November 22nd, people will gather at Peace & Friendship Park from 2:00pm to 4:00pm to stand together for a different vision of security — one grounded in peace, equity, and international solidarity.
This action brings together voices from across the region who are calling for:
An end to the glorification of war and military intervention
A shift toward peace-building, humanitarian action, and conflict de-escalation
Accountability for the global impacts of Canadian foreign policy
A Halifax that reflects its commitments to justice, not militarization
This gathering is open to everyone who envisions a future beyond war — a Halifax where safety does not depend on violence, and where we refuse to normalize the harm caused to communities here and abroad.
Why It Matters
War does not keep people safe. Militarized responses deepen instability, displace families, and harm those already most vulnerable. By showing up together, we send a collective message that our city does not belong to the agendas of war profiteers or global powers seeking to strengthen military alliances at the expense of human lives.
Halifax is a community of care — we know this, because we see it in our neighbourhoods, our movements, our mutual aid, and our commitments to justice across generations. This is another moment to make that care visible.
Event Details
📍 Peace & Friendship Park, Kjipuktuk/Halifax 📅 Saturday, November 22nd ⏰ 2:00pm – 4:00pm
All are welcome. Bring signs, bring friends, bring your hope for a more peaceful world.
