Peace Ceremony and Musical Commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of the Bombing of Hiroshima, at the Botanical Garden

MONTRÉAL, July 30, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - Montréal Space for Life is hosting a moment of contemplation, at the Peace Ceremony to be held at the Montréal Botanical Garden on August 5 at 7 p.m., to commemorate the bombing of the city of Hiroshima 70 years ago. Montréal Mayor Denis Coderre invites Montrealers to the ceremony in the Japanese Garden, which will also be attended by Hideaki Kuramitsu, Consul General of Japan, and Claude Gagné, President of the Japanese Garden and Pavilion Foundation. For this anniversary, the OSM will perform a musical commemoration at the Sun Life Financial Esplanade of the Olympic Park. The musical tribute will be broadcast live in the Japanese Garden during the ceremony.

Contemplation and musical commemoration at the Botanical Garden and on the Sun Life Financial Esplanade
On August 5, at exactly 7:15 p.m., corresponding to the time when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, the Peace Bell will be sounded in the Japanese Garden as a reminder of this tragic event. The Peace Ceremony will be held simultaneously with the one taking place in Hiroshima itself on the morning of August 6. As soon as the Peace Bell has sounded, the musical tribute by the OSM, accompanied by the Chœur des enfants de Montréal, will be broadcast live in the Japanese Garden.

At the same time, music lovers gathered at the Olympic Park's Sun Life Financial Esplanade can enjoy the musical performance by the OSM and see the Peace Ceremony broadcast live on giant screens, before the Soirée à l'opéra.

On August 6
The bell will ring 70 times throughout the day on August 6 to commemorate the thousands of lives wiped out in the tragedy. This is a rare opportunity to hear the pealing of this bell, a reminder of the passing years and the pressing need to come together to work for peace around the world.

Hiroshima – When Art Speaks exhibition
As a further opportunity to reflect on this tragic anniversary, the Japanese Garden is hosting an exhibition in the Japanese Pavilion, featuring drawings by a number of survivors of the atomic bomb describing the poignant scenes they witnessed in 1945. Come see their work and that of artist Kenzo Kamei, whose sunflowers offer a remarkably vivid account of three different aspects of this tragedy.

The Peace Bell, a symbol of hope
The Peace Bell, an original concept by Masahiko Katori, a famous Japanese artist, was installed in the Japanese Garden in 1998. It was presented by the city of Hiroshima to the city of Montréal as a token of eternal peace and friendship between the two cities. The Peace Bell is inscribed with a message of hope for the future. It is also engraved with peace doves near the top, with the Great Bear and Southern Cross constellations, representing the northern and southern hemispheres, and with other typical symbols of Japanese culture.

Only six other cities have received peace bells from the city of Hiroshima: Chongqing, China; Hanover, Germany; Honolulu, Hawaii; New York, United States; Taegu, South Korea and Volgograd, Russia.

Access to the Japanese Garden
Because of the OSM concert on the Olympic Park's Sun Life Financial Esplanade, we strongly suggest that you use public transit (Pie-IX metro station, 185 bus), since our parking lots may well be full.

Montréal Space for Life is made up of four attractions on the same site: the Botanical Garden, Biodôme, Insectarium and Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium. These four prestigious municipal institutions form Canada's largest natural science museum complex. Together, they are launching a daring, creative urban movement, urging everyone to rethink the connection between humankind and nature and to cultivate a new way of living.

SOURCE Espace pour la vie

For further information: Léticia Rebollar (week of July 28), Communications Assistant, 514 872-4325, [email protected]; Karine Vendette, Communications Assistant, 514 872-2227, [email protected]; Nadine Fortin (week of August 3), Communications Co-ordinator, 514 868-3053, [email protected]