City marks Second World War bombings with Peace Bell ceremony

Brian McKinnon says lessons from the past could stop future conflicts.

On Thursday the Red River Ward councillor remind residents of Thunder Bay about the atrocities of war, presiding over the city’s annual Peace Bell ceremony.

About a dozen dignitaries and regular citizens took turns ringing the bell, situated outside city hall, a joint ceremony held with sister city Gifu City, Japan, a community heavily bombed by the United States during the Second World War.

“Seventy years ago we were at war,” McKinnon said. “What we’re trying to do is remind people we never want to go back to war. Gifu City, which is one of our sister cities, was really devastated by the bombing and we have representatives from Gifu City here.”

A similar ceremony was taking place in the Japanese community as the one in Thunder Bay, as well as elsewhere in North America and other places around the world.

“It’s important that we recognize – and all the churches are involved as well – to say one person at a time, we’ll make peace happen.”
McKinnon said most wars happen through ignorance. By understanding the consequences and the devastation, perhaps it might convince the powers that be there are better ways to solve conflicts.

“That’s through negotiations and sitting down at tables and making sure you don’t pick up a rifle, you pick up a pen,” McKinnon said.
Tokyo’s Hiroko Bekki-Moller was on hand for the 2015 ceremony and said it’s important to remember what happened during the Second World War.

It’s a chance to teach people about peace and what it means.

“It teaches people to respect peace, to respect our lives and our families and friends,” she said.

In a statement, Gifu City Mayor Shigemitsu Hosoe said he hopes the ceremony will continue to strengthen the bond between the two communities.

“I hope that you and those in your city can share our wish and that the ringing of the Peace Bell opens up an opportunity to tell the future generations of the importance of peace.”

The two communities have had a sister city agreement since 2007.