Peace Museum renovations gain momentum along with urgency of its mission

December 2, 2025

By Nate Smelle

Renovations at the future Canadian Peace Museum in Bancroft are steadily taking shape, and with every day that passes, community support—and the museum’s purpose—grow stronger. According to the museum’s president, Chris Houston, the work now underway marks a turning point in transforming the donated building into a public space dedicated to fostering peace, environmental stewardship, and creating a more resilient community.

“We’re currently renovating the largest of rooms,” Houston said. “It’s lovely that people are just coming and helping out. It’s starting to feel like a real community space.”

The Canadian Peace Museum began gaining momentumafter the North Hastings Community Trust donated a building to the organization. Since then, locals have been stopping in, curious about the project taking shape in their midst. Houston is always ready to give a tour.

“It’s a process,” he explained. “People come around who are curious and ask questions about what we’re all about. It takes a while to get the word out.”

With renovation funds limited, Houston said the team is proceeding carefully. Despite the financial constraints, the museum remains on track for a partial opening in 2026. He said one of the major structural hurdles still ahead is accessibility.

“We’ve got some money to renovate,” Houston said. “Not enough to do it all, so we’re very frugally and slowly renovating. We’re delighted with the volunteers helping, and hoping that local businesses might help us out with lumber or materials to help us through the renovations… We need to have an elevator before we can open the top floor. We can’t have a museum promoting equal, fair and inclusive and not have an elevator.”

Design work is underway, and with the support of volunteers, donors, and local tradespeople. Houston offered special thanks to Maynooth artist and landscape designer Dave Maris, who has been instrumental in helping to move the museum closer to its goal of opening next year.

The world Houston envisions the museum nurturing is one grounded in justice, sustainability, and non-violence. Acknowledging how such a world feels increasingly distant amid rising global tensions, conflicts, and political polarization, he says, makes the need for the Canadian Peace Museum more urgent than ever.

“Every single time I speak to somebody, it sadly seems more relevant to promote peace,” Houston said. “Peace means many different things. It includes the absence of war, the absence of violence, and the absence of fear. But it also includes the presence of healthy people and a healthy planet. Peace is not just the absence of things—it’s the presence of things.”

Houston cited an article published in The Guardian, noting that more than five per cent of global emissions are linked to conflict or militaries. The United Nations has echoed similar concerns, warning in a 2023 report that warfare devastates ecosystems, contaminates water sources, and disrupts livelihoods.

“If you’re an environmentalist you’re a pacifist,” Houston said, emphasizing the connection between planetary wellbeing and peace. “War is very expensive. The carbon cost of war is ridiculous, and the legacy of war is forever.”

Recognizing that economic arguments also support a stronger global shift toward peace, Houston pointed out how war and violence are counterproductive in terms of building a stable global economy. When humanity focuses on killing and taking power from others for profit, he says the things that are in the public’s best interest—robust public health-care and education, food security, access to clean water and a safe environment—are neglected.

“The cost of violence is more than 10 per cent of the global economy; it’s larger than the economy of China,” Houston noted. “If you’re an economist, if you just care about money, then you should care about peace. If you care about people, you care about the environment.”

Houston believes Bancroft is the perfect place for this institution; not just philosophically, but practically.

“I think it’s quite wonderful that our beautiful, tranquil town—famous for its peacefulness in the sense of tranquillity—is a very fitting home,” he said.

The museum, once operational, is expected to diversify Bancroft’s tourism offerings and support the local economy.

“Bancroft is known for its outdoor beauty,” Houston said. “But that means when it rains or when it’s cold, people are looking for alternative things to do. Having an indoor space like this is important. It will put Bancroft on the map for a different set of people.”

One of Houston’s concerns is society’s weakening ability to hold respectful conversations across disagreement. This is an issue he sees most acutely in younger generations.

“People are struggling to have conversations where they disagree,” he said. “I fear for the younger generation. They seem to have an inability to have a conversation where they disagree… that’s not set up for a good society.”

To address this, the museum is already in discussion with the school board to ensure that students will have access to programming and exhibits that encourage critical thinking, conflict resolution, and meaningful dialogue.

For Houston, the most heartening part of the journey so far has been the spirit of collaboration emerging around the project.

“It really feels good to see the community getting behind us and stepping up in different ways,” he said. “It’s not just money or volunteering. There’s wisdom and advice, suggestions on what can be included in the museum.”

As renovations continue, and as global challenges make the museum’s mission increasingly relevant, Houston remains committed to advancing the Peace Museum’s mission to make Bancroft the Peace Capital of Canada.