Sunday 24 June 2018

Ron Kalmakoff's New Recording

Ron Kalmakoff writes:

Some of you may remember me from my appearances starting at age 15 in Canora, Saskatchewan, or on radio and TV. Others may remember me living in Maple Ridge, BC, where I owned the Little Cricket Gift Gallery for 14 years.

More recently some of you may have seen me walking on one of the beaches of the Sunshine Coast, BC, searching for my latest inspiration.

Hopefully most of you will remember me as singer~songwriter Ron Kalmakoff. That is where my heart is today.

After 7 years since my last album, Turn Around in 2010, I am back with a new recording project: ‘Long, Long Time’, YouTube.


Send me email or buy my music at Bandcamp. I’d also like to hear from you via Facebook or Instagram.

Ron Kalmakoff is an accomplished recording artist who for a short time used the English stage-name “Ron Sommerfeld” (1974), but returned to his identity as a Doukhobor. His concerts and 1982 demo led to an appearance on the Tommy Hunter TV show, then CBC's Search For the Stars where he placed 45 among 700 performers. His music was played and sold in Europe. Ron now lives in Sunshine Coast, BC. His original website RonKalmakoff.com was online from 2011 to 2015. Songs and videos online:

Ron Kalmakoff remembers his Canora roots, Kamsack Times, April 25, 2019, pages 6,11. 

Suggestions for 'World Beyond War' Conference in Toronto Sept. 21 - 22, 2018

The forthcoming peace conference in Toronto, Canada in September 2018 appears like the ultimate in world peace conferences. Its organizer is David Swanson, founder and Director of World BEYOND War.


The confirmed speakers are impressive, including retired Canadian anthropologist Dr. Saul Arbess, who is currently the Director of the Canadian Peace Initiative (formerly known as the Canadian Dept. of Peace Initiative) that I have been associated with since its birth in 2006.

The conference shows much promise, and these additions would make it more effective.

The Doukhobors should be included under 'War Abolishers' (right column). In 1895, 7,000 Russian pacifists in Russia burned their guns — a public declaration to the world that violence and wars are wrong and that non killing is the way of the future. As a Doukhobor, I have been taught that it is wrong to kill another human being because there is a spark of god/love/beauty in each of us, and war is a crime.

At least three speakers from important organizations should be included in the Speaker's List:
  • Prof. Johan Galtung, Transcend Media Service, a peace journalist for over 65 years. He is founder of Transcend International and rector of Transcend Peace University.
  • A representative for The Center for Global Nonkilling founded in 2007 by the late Dr. Glenn D. Paige in Hawaii. Its goal: 'to promote change toward the measurable goal of a killing-free world'.
  • Sharon Tennison of The Center For Citizen Initiatives, California, builds bridges of peace through citizen diplomacy between Russia and the USA.
World BEYOND War is a global network of volunteers, activists, and allied organizations advocating for the abolition of the very institution of war. Its success is described as being driven by a people-powered movement. Support their work for a culture of peace. World BEYOND War PO Box 1484 Charlottesville, VA 22902 USA

Wednesday 6 June 2018

Peace Billboard in Saskatchewan

Messages from Ed Lehman, President Regina Peace Council, Saskatchewan:
  • Photo of our peace billboard, erected May 25, 2018, outside of Qu'Appelle, SK, on the Trans Canada Highway (SK-1), about 55 km (35 miles) east of Regina.
  • Unveiling ceremony to be held at the billboard on Saturday June 16 at 2 p.m.
  • We paid for the east-facing side for one year, seen by west bound traffic.
  • Please forward this news.
Unveiling Ceremony, 16 June 2018
Canada - Act for Peace Not War.
  • Sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
  • No Participation in Ballistic Missile Defense
  • Stop Exporting Weapons of War
  • Oppose Regime Change Militarism
Regina Peace Council
in memory of Peter E. Gehl.


Peter Eric Gehl, 2008
Regina area resident and pacifist Peter Eric Gehl (1952 - 2016) was active in the Regina Peace Council, Regina Peace Quest (co-founder), the Canadian Peace Congress, and Canadians for Peace and Socialism.

PQ Regina Mourns Loss of Peter Gehl, by Ed Lehman, Peace Quest, October 25, 2016.

Lehman wrote: 'The Billboard was done in memory of Peter E. Gehl, a past president of the Regina Peace Council, a national board member of the Canadian Peace Congress, and a co-founder of PeaceQuest Regina. Peter was a life-long worker for peace and social justice.'

When Ed Lehman was asked by phone (June 6) "Why a billboard?", he explained: "To do something different. To get our message to more people. ... To do it more broadly. ... We are normally talking to small groups of people, when when we need to be talking to tens of thousands of people. ... That highway has lots of traffic."

When asked how they chose the message, Lehman said that they deliberated to be as brief as possible, to only post what was important and could be read by a passing vehicle. He added that it was expensive for them, so they paid for only one side, seen by west-bound traffic, for one year from May 25, 2018. They hope to get more exposure during the unveiling on June 16.

Contact Ed Lehman, President Regina Peace Council, 306-718-8010 or edrae1133@gmail.com.


Media Event on Saturday June 16 at 2 p.m.

To get more press coverage, the Regina Peace Council will host an unveiling ceremony next week, on June 16, 2018, at 2 p.m. on the east side of the billboard. Invite yourself and your friends.

From Regina, SK, take SK-1 east about 55 km (35 miles). U-turn back at Highway 35 (not to Qu'Appelle). Go west on SK-1 about 600 metres. It is the only billboard.


In the News

'Peace Billboard Unveiled outside of Ou'appelle, Saskatchewan on June 16, 2018', Saskatchewan Peace News, vol. 25, No. 3, Regina Peace Council, 13 September 2018, pages 2-4.

'Regina Peace Council ... put up a billboard ... ', Toronto Association for Peace & Solidarity, Twitter.com, 1 September, 2018.

Scott Neigh, 'The Regina Peace Council - Working to reinvigorate Canada's peace movement', Talking Radical Radio, rabble.com, SK, July 24, 2018 — Article about billboard, and audio podcast (28.5 minutes) interview with Ed Lehman and David Gehl. Billboard history begins at podcast minute 20.

Peace Billboard Celebrated in Saskatchewan, by Ed Lehman, Peace Quest, June 19, 2018 — The peace dove (1961) art was one of several by Pablo Picasso, who was a 1950s promotor of the World Peace Council.

Peace Billboard in Saskatchewan, Spirit-Wrestlers Blog, June 6, 2018.

'Peace Billboard on the Trans Canada Highway', People's Voice, June 1 - 15, 2018, page 11.

Billboard for Peace, Peace Alliance Winnipeg, Saskatchwan, May 27, 2018.

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