From Saturday, October 15 to Sunday, October 23, Canadian peace activists are taking to the streets, demanding that the federal government #FundPeaceNotWar. This week of action, initiated by the U.S.-based United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC), is championed in Canada by the Canada Peace and Justice Network, a coalition of 45 civil society organizations.

On Thursday, October 20th, Montréal activists hand-delivered a letter to Mélanie Joly's riding office, explaining why Canada must sign the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW, also known as the nuclear ban treaty). The letter, signed by 16 peace organizations and 65 Canadian citizens, explained that nuclear war would be catastrophic for life on Earth, and that Canada could be a peace leader by joining the nuclear ban treaty, which already has 91 signatories and 68 states parties. The TPNW has the pledged support of former Canadian prime ministers, hundreds of cities, including Montréal, 1,600 parliamentarians around the world, and thirty-three Canadian senators.

The letter was also emailed to Joly and to the senators on the Standing committee, Foreign Affairs and International Trade. At Joly's office, her constituency assistant, Cyril Nawar, confirmed that the email had been received and assured us that madame Joly would read the printed letter.

For more information on the Montreal action, please contact:

Cymry Gomery, Coordinator of Montreal for a World BEYOND War.
 Phone: 514-369-8933

For information on the Week of action, please contact:  

Maya Garfinkel, Coordinator of World Beyond War Canada and the Canada-Wide Peace and Justice Network
 Email: maya@worldbeyondwar.org
 Phone: 847-840-2120