Overlooking where Niagara Falls began to form thousands of years ago, a new monument now stands as a quiet reminder to Niagara-on-the-Lake residents and visitors of the need for peace.
Niagara Parks will unveil the peace monument on Thursday, at 11 a.m., at the Locust Grove picnic area along the Niagara Parkway in Queenston.
The public ceremony invites visitors to reflect on the message behind the installation, donated by registered charity Soka Gakkai International Canada, the national branch of Soka Gakkai International — dedicated to peace, culture, education and human rights, based on the humanistic philosophy of Nichiren Buddhism.
“This monument being in Locust Grove — it’s a deliberate location,” said Niagara Parks chief executive officer David Adames.
The stone monument bears inscriptions in English, French, Mohawk and Anishinaabemowin. Its message, a quote from Soka Gakkai International founder Daisaku Ikeda, reads: “Peace. Nothing is more precious than peace. Nothing brings more happiness. Peace is the most basic starting point for the advancement of humankind.”
Adames said the location is “a symbolic nod to the geography, geology and the history” of the Niagara Falls and NOTL.
“To reflect on peace, in a natural setting like Locust Grove — it’s a wonderful moment,” he said.
The monument was fully funded and donated by the organization, with its design approved this spring and construction completed over the summer, Adames said.
“I think it was actually March of 2021, Niagara Parks received a proposal,” he added.
He said the original request, he believes, was to place a peace monument somewhere within Niagara Parks, but the plan later focused on Locust Grove, which he called “a very special place along the parkway.”
The monument’s message of peace is meant to resonate with everyone, Adames said — much like the visitors from 169 different countries that Niagara Parks welcomed last year.
“Niagara has been a meeting point for many, many people over years, as they come to visit what is known globally, Niagara Falls, the Niagara River corridor,” he added. “I think it’s an opportunity for people to understand each other better.”
Benches nearby invite visitors to pause and take in the surroundings.
“Where the monument is, and with the benches there, they’ll naturally gravitate to both — read the inscription, read the poem there — and then have a moment to sit on one of the benches,” said Adames, “and just reflect.”
