The Town of Saugeen Shores will express interest in becoming Sister-Cities with a Belgium municipality that was the site of a famous battle in the First World War.
At Monday's council meeting, members supported a notice of motion to send a letter to the Municipality of Zonnebeke, Belgium, about the possibility of city twinning.
Zonnebeke is made of several villages, including Passchendaele, the site of the significant battle in 1917 that resulted in thousands of Canadian casualties.
Resident and former Southampton Legion President John Willetts has done most of the leg-work on the project so far, having travelled to the Passchendaele region in 2024 for the Remembrance Day celebration.
He told council there was some interest on both sides.
"One of the alderman there, we've had several conference calls on the subject," he said. "Last time I was in Zonnebeke at Passchendaele, I presented a Canadian flag to the mayor at that time and we discussed the opportunity. After that, the alderman that also happens to be chair of the board for the museum contact me and we discussed the terms of the details... and making sure it was something of mutual interest. What happens next, is kind of like dating in high school."
In a presentation to council, Willets pointed to similarities between the communities, including their similar populations, agricultural roots, and deep cultures of remembrance.
Willets said he's also received letters or expression of support for the initiative from MPP Lisa Thompson; the Saugeen Shores Chamber of Commerce; Randy Hayley, Royal Canadian Legion National Executive Director; Cathy McGirr, Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre and more.
Council approved sending a letter expressing its interest to the Zonnebeke.
Mayor Luke Charbonneau thanked Willets for laying the groundwork and said he was excited to see where it goes next.
"Now we can write this letter with an expression of interest and then we can sort of go form there and make the more formal connections," he said. "I, unlike some others, don't have any experience with a Sister-City so it will be interesting to see how you roll that out and make that happen, but I'm sure we will."
The notice of motion noted that the letter doesn't commit the Town to any binding terms or a financial commitment of any kind, it's merely the first step in forging a relationship.
Willets will return to Belgium this year for Remembrance Day, where he plans to pass on the letter from Saugeen Shores.
