Midwestern Ontario and Belgium grew closer this week after the Town of Saugeen Shores and Municipality of Zonnebeke in Belgium officially signed a Sister City agreement. “We have a lot of connections between our region and this place. So, we can build on those connections and draw closer, and build a future together where we can visit one another and learn from one another,” said Saugeen Shores Mayor, Luke Charbonneau, while signing the Sister City accord in Zonnebeke this week. Zonnebeke is home to Passchendaele, where thousands of Canadian soldiers died defending Europe. It’s within a few kilometres of Flanders Fields, and home to the largest Commonwealth cemetery with more than 12,000 soldiers gravestones. John Willets, visited the region four years ago, and has been the driving force behind creating a Sister City agreement between the two international communities. “You’d go by people’s homes and there’d be Canadian flags hanging from the windows. These people had never met a Canadian. Their family had never met a Canadian. When the Canadians were taking that ridge, the town had been basically blown to dust, and people had been evacuated long before that. And yet there’s a strong emotional connection to Canadians. And I just couldn’t help, but want to reaffirm and make that that connection again,” said Willets, former President of the Saugeen Shores Royal Canadian Legion. Like Canada, due to international tension originating from the United States, Belgian officials are looking for closer connections to like minded countries, and communities. “The stability we used to have is a little bit gone in Europe, and I think also in Canada. So we are looking to renew. Look out to new partners. Not just on the macro level, but also on a micro level where we are. It’s also important to have good connection with people in Canada to work on that together,” said Zonnebeke Deputy Mayor of Tourism, Joachim Jonckheere. Education, economics, culture, and tourism are just some of the things the two communities plan to collaborate on in the coming years. “We have a lot of things to do over here. We are looking forward to meeting people from Saugeen Shores, and we had here a fantastic meeting, exchanged fantastic ideas where we can strengthen the agreement between Canada and Belgium, what happened in the past, what we want to do in the near future, and the far future, too,” said Zonnebeke Mayor Koen Meersseman. “Building a relationship with a community here can be an opportunity for folks from Canada to visit Belgium. And also, I think there’s an interest here in visiting Canada and visiting our area. We have one of the most beautiful places in the world in Saugeen Shores to visit, and we hope that folks from here will want to visit us, too,” said Charbonneau. “It’s a fantastic place to see. The countryside here is beautiful. The connection between our two towns is remarkable. An agricultural community with a strong tourist background sounds like Saugeen Shores, right? We’re interested in their military history. They’re interested in our natural beauty and immigration history. I just feel so grateful to have the opportunity to work this with these great people, and for this to come to fruition because it’s going to benefit both of these places, for a long, long time to come,” said Willets. Willets and Charbonneau will take part in Remembrance Day ceremonies in Zonnebeke, and area before returning home to Saugeen Shores later this week.
