On a warm and sunny morning on September 13, UPF Quebec marked its 8 th annual
Peace Road event in collaboration with the UN’s International Day of Peace 2025.
Proud Ambassadors for peace and friends of UPF gathered to celebrate this day.
Inspired by the Peace Road project, they invited members of their organisations to
participate, and the best of their artists to perform. And the elected representatives of
both boroughs also responded with a resounding yes. Federal Member of Parliament
for St-Laurent, Emmanuella Lambroupolos, Mayor Alan DeSousa, and Councillor Aref
Salem joined in the St-Laurent borough. Federal Member of Parliament Abdelaq Sari,
represented by his staff member, Lina Messioune, Mayor Christine Black and Councillor
Philippe Thermidor were on hand in Montréal-Nord. And greetings from Madwa-Nika
Cadet, provincial member of parliament, were read by UPF leader Chantale Lee.
It was in an atmosphere at once both deeply meaningful and festive that the Peace
Road event took place. Some thirty cyclists travelled the 15 km separating those two
boroughs of Montréal, a symbolic way of promoting the vision of UPF founders, Hak Ja
Han and Rev. Sun Myung Moon, of an international highway crossing the globe and
uniting humanity as one human family under God.

From outset to conclusion, district councillors and community and religious leaders
expressed their support for this vision.
After greetings from government and municipal officials, the mayor of St-Laurent
launched the cyclists on their journey, and they were welcomed in Montréal-Nord with
the sound of the Bon Courage youth marching band.
Meanwhile, at the Peace Park (Beaudet Park) in the borough of St-Laurent, once the
cyclists had left, those less athletic folks also expressed their support for this vision by
walking around the park.

In Montréal-Nord, after the arrival of the cyclists and welcoming remarks from local
elected officials, the event, with UPF Quebec coordinator Isabelle Laurin serving as MC,
continued with an hour of performances. Kadiétou Savadogo, director of the Centre du
Bon Courage, introduced the youth dance troupe, and a young girl from the Maison des
jeunes l'Ouverture with a promising voice offered a song.
Antoine Nahas and Diane Boudreau, respectively Area Leader in Canada for Lions
Clubs International and Governor of District U1 of the Lions Club, introduced Christa
Maria Abu Akl, a young girl who was a finalist on the Quebec talent show La Voix, to
brilliantly perform songs of her own composition.
Emanuel Lallement, director of the Montréal Stake for the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, invited Marianne Lambert, an internationally renowned soprano, to
perform two songs with a magnificent voice, accompanied by Michel-Alexandre
Broekaert on the piano.

Rév. Serge Célestin, president of the Montréal-Nord Council of Religious Leaders, a
loyal partner organization, added some words of support for the initiative.
The programme ended with a picnic on tables supplied by the borough of Montréal-
Nord. The event was enjoyable and educational, and helped to develop the network of
collaboration between organisations.

Here is the YouTube video of the event: