Tashi Farmilo
LJI Reporter

Gatineau will mark the 80th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings this Augus
with a week of remembrance, music, and community gatherings, encouraging residents to
reflect on the consequences of nuclear weapons, war and the ongoing work of building peace.

Announced July 9, at a press conference at the Maison du citoyen, Peace Week will open on
August 6 with a citywide moment of silence at 8:15 am, the moment the bomb fell on Hiroshima.
That evening, a VIP event will feature Japanese drumming by Oto-wa Taiko and a concert by
the Orchestre symphonique de Gatineau, recognizing both the solemnity of the anniversary and
the resilience of culture.

On August 9, a cultural day at the Maison du citoyen will feature Asian and Indigenous
performers, artists, and food vendors, designed to foster reflection while bringing residents
together through culture. The week will conclude on August 10 with a Walk for Peace from the
Maison du citoyen to Parliament Hill, with participants encouraged to wear white and carry
messages of peace.

Throughout the week, residents will be invited to fold paper doves and hang them on a
communal origami Peace Tree, sharing personal messages of hope in a gesture inspired by
traditions that arose in postwar Hiroshima.

Dr. Henry Shibata, who visited Hiroshima in 1946 as a 16-year-old just one year after the
bombing, joined Peace Week’s announcement by video to share his memories of arriving in a
city reduced to ashes. Shibata, born in Vancouver and interned with his family during the
Second World War before being forced to leave Canada, recalled his shock and horror at seeing
Hiroshima’s devastation. His testimony underscored the long shadow nuclear weapons cast
across generations.

“At a time when our leaders are talking about conflict, many of us want to talk about peace,”|
said organizer Mike Duggan. “People forget the devastation these weapons cause. We’re doing
this so we don’t repeat the past.”

Duggan said Peace Week aims to provide residents with practical, meaningful ways to engage
in peacebuilding, whether by pausing for a moment of silence, folding a paper dove, or joining
the walk. “Violence is often just taking something by force instead of working for it,” he said.
“Peace takes more effort, but it’s worth it. It means negotiation, kindness, and building
community, and that’s what we’re hoping to encourage.”

With summer offering a chance to pause, Duggan said he hopes residents will take a moment to
consider the future they want to help build. “This isn’t about staying in the past,” he said. “It’s
about making sure we don’t repeat it.”​

Peace Week is designed to remind residents that peace is not an abstract idea but a daily
commitment shaped by memory, reflection, and the choices that people, communities and
countries make together.

Photo: Gatineau has announced a Peace Week this August, with organizer Mike Duggan and
Dr. Henry Shibata calling on residents to reflect on the costs of war and commit to building
peace through remembrance, culture, and community action. (TF) Photo: Tashi Farmilo