Getting peace back on track in Canada is the goal for 40 Canadians travelling on the cross-country Peace Train.
The train, a dedicated passenger car on VIA Rail, departed Vancouver on Nov. 15 and will arrive in Ottawa on Nov. 20. Once there, participants will meet with members of Parliament to ask the federal government to allocate a portion of its military budget to establish and fund a Centre of Excellence for Peace and Justice. The centre would focus on research, education and training in conflict resolution, diplomacy and peace operations.
Reporter John Longhurst asked participants aboard the train what peace means to them, and how Canada can contribute to a more just world.
During its stop in Edmonton, Douglas Roche, a former Canadian senator, parliamentarian, and diplomat, addressed participants, saying, “We need to find a new way to stop militarism. We need new diplomatic initiatives for peace.”
Roche highlighted the criticism Canada has faced as a NATO member for not spending enough on its military. “That’s a myth,” he said, noting that Canada is currently the seventh-largest spender on defence within NATO.
He also pointed to the election of Donald Trump as a sign that Canada may face increased pressure to boost its military spending. However, Roche argued that funds would be better allocated to housing, education, and healthcare at home. “That’s where Canadians want their tax dollars to go,” he said.
For Winnipeggers Gordon and Lori Matties, Val Falk, and Agnes Hubert, joining the Peace Train felt like a way to get Canada back on track.
Gordon Matties, who boarded the train in Vancouver, envisions “a future without war; a future of peace with justice for all of creation.”
Lori Matties shared, “More than ever, I believe we are all called to love our neighbours, and the only way to get rid of our enemies is to make them our friends.”
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Val Falk hopes to see Canada reclaim the peacekeeping tradition she remembers from her childhood in the 1960s.
Agnes Hubert, drawing from her Anabaptist background, emphasized the importance of peacemaking and diplomacy as a role Canada could adopt in a more meaningful way. “I think it is a faithful interpretation of Jesus’ teachings,” she said.
Kristi Lewis of Cobble Hill, B.C. says joining the Peace Train was an easy decision—she knew right away she wanted to be part of it.
While aboard, Lewis has been documenting her experiences, leading singing sessions, and making paper cranes.
Although she admits to feeling heartbroken by the daily news, she believes in the power of resilience. “Despondency does not get us anywhere,” she said.
“I believe we must engage grief in order to move through it, and that loving community aids us in the process.”
For Deborah Walker, minister of connection and social justice at Shaughnessy Heights United Church in Vancouver, participating in the Peace Train is a way to demonstrate that the church is actively engaged in issues that matter to people.
This includes addressing challenges like global hunger and poverty, but she emphasizes that “peace is an overarching issue,” as war is a major driver of poverty and hunger, forcing people from their homes, work, and farms.
By joining the Peace Train, she hopes to convey a clear message: “The church has something to say about peace.”
Diane and John Mayba of Port Alberni, B.C., joined the Peace Train as a way to “turn our hopes and desire for peace into a concrete plan of action.”
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Diane, 71, and John, 72, hope the Peace Train will inspire people across Canada to unite in bringing “a powerful voice for peace to Ottawa.”
The retired couple views war as “the ultimate injustice,” often misperceived as a solution rather than the catastrophic failure it truly is.
They believe Canada has a vital role to play in fostering a global system of true security.
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John Longhurst is a writer based in Winnipeg.
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