The Cyrus Eaton Legacy
The dream of a world without nuclear arms is alive and well in Pugwash, Nova Scotia. Thinkers' Lodge is still hosting thought-provoking conferences and seminars more than 50 years after the iconic event that launched the Pugwash Movement – and now the buildings at this National Historic Site are being restored.
The property, located on the Northumberland Strait, dates back to the early 1800s and was purchased by Pugwash-born, Cyrus Eaton in 1929. In 1957, at the height of the Cold War, the first Pugwash Conference on Science and World Affairs took place here. Scientists from both sides of the Iron Curtain met to discuss the threat of nuclear weapons and the responsibility of scientists to work for their eradication. This signature event led to a Nobel Prize for Peace, awarded in 1995 and shared with the movement's leading spirit, Joseph Rotblat.
The non-profit Pugwash Park Commission (PPC) and the Eaton family have restored, preserved and operated Thinkers' Lodge and the surrounding buildings and grounds for the community of Pugwash, Cumberland County and the Province of Nova Scotia for more than 80 years. The PPC was established by an Act of the Nova Scotia Legislature in 1929.
In 2008, Canada's National Historic Sites and Monuments Board designated Thinkers Lodge as a National Historic Site. A plaque commemorating the lodge and the historic event that took place here has now been approved and a celebration is being scheduled.
The Nova Scotia Department of Economic and Rural Development has made a cornerstone grant in support of restoring the Lodge. The PPC and the Cumberland Regional Economic Development Association (CREDA) convened a steering committee that included local Cumberland and Pugwash citizens to oversee plans to stabilize and restore the Lodge. In 2009, this collaborative effort was expanded to include Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA).
In the fullness of time, this "sacred ground" has come to be recognized throughout the world as the physical place where the nuclear disarmament movement began. A place of inspiration and reflection, Thinkers' Lodge remains a beacon for world peace.