Grand Forks gathering marks 80th anniversary of Nagasaki bombing, Grand Forks, British Columbia, Canada

August 9, 2025

Anniversary a time to speak about history and current efforts to promote peaceful solutions to global conflicts.

A moment of silence was held in honour of the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, as part of an event organized by the Boundary Peace Initiative to speak on it, and the significance of peaceful resolutions to international conflict.

A somber anniversary was marked in Grand Forks, but the event also brought messages of hope, action and the Boundary Peace Initiative out of a long hiatus.

Around 30 people gathered in Lois Haggen Park on Saturday to mark the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, with a nuclear bomb. The day bought out local dignitaries, as well as members of the Doukhobour communities of Grand Forks and Castlegar, the RDKB and Grand Forks Rotary, to speak on the significance of the day as a turning point in human history to promote peace among nations.

Co-organizer Lunya Savinkoff-Foyle said she was pleasantly surprised to see so many people want to participate.

“We originally planned something very small, but we were happily surprised so many people came forward to share a few worlds not just on Nagasaki, but on other issues like Gaza as well,” she said. 

This was an opportunity for people of different backgrounds to talk about the process to peace, she said. For that to happen, she said it will have to take a return to constructive dialogue, respect, personal responsibility and universal love of humanity and the earth to stop the destructive actions of war that only brings short-term gains at the expense of lives. 

Maxine Ruzika of Grand Forks Rotary explained the Rotary’s peace initiatives have included sister city agreements with Nagasaki, Peace Pole, and events commemorating the anniversary of the bombing. 

The club commemorated its commitment to peace in 2022 with the installation of the Peace Stone in the park in 2022 and a peace pole at the Boundary Museum and Archives in 2024.

“Rotary doesn’t want Peace Poles to be just sticks in the ground or a monument of stone that doesn’t mean anything. It is a place for community gatherings and sharing, like we are doing here today,” said Ruzika.

Union Spiritual Communities of Christ executive director for Grand Forks, J.J. Veregin spoke on the historical fact that Nagasaki was a secondary target, as the skies were clear so the bombers could report on the damage. 

This commemoration isn’t a secondary one, he said, as it stands as a testament to people wanting to pursue peaceful solutions even as it seems peace isn’t a goal for nations in solving their difference.

Photo/Karen McKinley