Dr. Adele Buckley was a long-time member of Canadian Pugwash Group, and over several decades she had been Chair and Treasurer, expert in CPG bylaws detail and obligations, minder of our investments, and also a member of the International Pugwash Council.

Adele was a physicist, engineer, and environmental scientist, a visionary leader and a true pioneer in disarmament and environmental sustainability. She was a founding partner of Sciex, the developer and manufacturer of mass spectrometry systems, which now has extensive worldwide installations. Formerly she was V.P. of Solarchem Environmental Systems, (a developer of ultraviolet light [UVB] systems used to remove environmental contaminants in water), and formerly V.P. Technology and Research, Ontario Centre for Environmental Technology Advancement.

She is perhaps best known in Pugwash circles for her championing the campaign for a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Arctic, part of CPG’s Arctic Security project. The Arctic is a region she was committed to protect, and she presented the ANWFZ proposal at numerous international conferences and in six countries since 2007.

Adele’s leadership extended beyond Pugwash, serving on the advisory board of Canadians for a Nuclear Weapons Convention (recently renamed Canadian Leadership for Nuclear Disarmament), and the Global Issues Project, both of these efforts now being projects of Canadian Pugwash Group.

Adele drafted a chapter for a forthcoming publication about Pugwash Canada, and about the organizing of the 53rd International Pugwash Conference on Science and World Affairs that was held in Halifax, with stopovers in Pugwash, Nova Scotia in 2003. She describes one day at the Thinkers’ Lodge and the involvement of physicist (and Pugwash founder) Joseph Rotblat this way:

“This was not Jo Rotblat’s first return to Pugwash (after the founding conferences in 1957 and 1958), so he was at ease in the environment and delivered a stirring message about the necessity for nuclear disarmament, fitting his remarks to the conference theme of ‘Human Security’. [He] never hesitated to take governments to task for their lack or urgency in advancing the cause of nuclear disarmament.”

Adele presented a short paper, “The Negotiation Of Mutually Reinforcing Instruments Leading To Nuclear Disarmament”. on behalf of Canadian Pugwash to the 59^th Pugwash Conference, in Berlin, 2011, in which she provided an electrical analogy for encouraing states and their leaders to work on a variety of strategies at the same time. She concluded that “there is a very strong case to be made for parallel negotiations on all segments of the nuclear disarmament issues, because there is a built-in advantage. Reaching the goal will be easier; one might guess that this arises from known inter-connectedness of problems.” Her paper is available here.

Several Pugwash Canada members and colleagues have referred to Adele’s work and commitment to the disarmament cause:

Past-Chair Paul Meyer wrote that “Adele seemed indefatigable in her activities in support of CPG. Her championship of the Arctic Security file long before it had become fashionable was only one example of her insight and perseverance.  I always relied on her wise counsel with respect to Pugwash affairs.”

Marius Grinius said: “Adele was a wonderful and dedicated proponent for the cause of peace. On her work for the Arctic as a NWFZ I especially appreciated her willingness to see and share all sides of this issue.”

Peggy Mason, Vice-Chair of Pugwash Canada, wrote, “Adele will leave a huge hole in the CPG family and in our hearts.”

Dr. Walter Dorn, a past Chair of Pugwash Canada, commented that Adele had been “a dear friend, a valuable colleague, a wise mentor, a conscientious financial steward [for Pugwash], and most of all a super dedicated advocate for peace. She was a pioneering researcher on an Arctic Nuclear-Weapons-Free Zone and an important bridge to International Pugwash, on whose Council she has also served with distinction. Her dedication was shown in so many ways, including the principal organizer for the 2003 International Pugwash conference in Halifax. Even after she completed her term as Chair of CPG, she offered to serve in many other capacities, including as Chair of the Investment Committee.”

Dr. Erika Simpson wrote that Dr. Buckley “was a principled and intellectually rigorous colleague whose calm leadership and unwavering advocacy for nuclear disarmament and environmental responsibility earned her widespread respect across Canada’s peace and scientific communities.”

Long time friend to both Adele and her husband Peter for over 25 years, David Harries, a past CPG Chair, said: “Humanity will be less resilient without Adele’s wisdom, honesty, and tireless commitment to peace and well-being for all.”

Branka Marijan: “Dr. Buckley was a true inspiration, particularly to women working in disarmament in Canada. Her contributions and leadership will be remembered with deep respect.”

Pugwash member and cofounder of Project Ploughshares, Ernie Regehr comments: “In addition to all that she did for Pugwash and Canadian affiliates like CLND, [Canadian Leadership for Nuclear Disarmament] Adele closely monitored a wide range of publications on the Arctic, especially security related issues, and distributed the references widely – almost on a daily basis. Many longtime Arctic watchers and professionals benefited from and relied on her postings. She is indeed remembered with deep respect and affection.”

Bev Delong: “Adele’s careful management of the CPG funds has been extremely important to our work.  How often would we ask ‘Adele, what is in the bank?’ Her contribution of careful and undoubtedly time-consuming work allowed us to plan the international and national Pugwash meetings.”

Ellen Judd said: “Adele was such an extraordinarily knowledgeable and wise voice and a person of enormous energy and thoughtfulness.”

Robin Collins, CPG Secretary, worked more closely with Adele in recent years in a Pugwash climate committee focussed on the global warming crisis. Adele provided expertise, including for four climate mitigation and adaptation reports that were delivered to the federal, provincial and territorial governments. “She was very knowledgeable about materials science and technology, what we could be sure of, and what was less clear, and she was insistent that peer-reviewed evidence should not be sidelined.”

Upon hearing of her death, Alex Neve wrote: “That is indeed sorrowful and unexpected news.  It seems only days ago that I was having an email exchange with Adele on something CLND related.  That is how I had the good fortune to meet and come to know Adele over the last couple of years; but I can see from these messages how wide, broad and meaningful – and longstanding – her impact and influence was. A woman of conviction, and certainly a trailblazer in many respects.”

Within the Arctic security, and peace and nuclear weapon abolition communities, Adele Buckley was widely respected.  She was admired for her tenacity, the solidity of her opinions, her scientific knowledge and her generosity. We at Pugwash Canada will continue to work for progress on the commitments she advocated for, in particular in the area of Arctic Security, the project  to which she devoted much of her time.

The Canadian Pugwash Group is affiliated with the international Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, which was founded in 1957 in Pugwash, Nova Scotia. The movement relies on scientists and other experts to work towards peace and global security through dialogue, and with a focus on nuclear disarmament and the responsible use of science and technology. The International movement and its founder Joseph Rotblat were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1995, “for their efforts to diminish the part played by nuclear arms in international politics and, in the longer run, to eliminate such arms”.

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/en-ca/obituaries/toronto-on/janette-buckley-12382738