50 years of friendship

The 50th anniversary of the longest-running Canadian twin city partnership is just around the corner, and the municipalities plan to commemorate the long-lasting friendship with an art exchange.

A Quebecois artist will be selected to make a work of art for Lethbridge, Alberta’s Henderson Lake Park, and a piece of art from Lethbridge will be installed in the future 375th anniversary place publique near Côte-Vertu metro station, in Saint-Laurent.

The sculptors will be selected through a competition process with a nine-member jury in conjunction with the Public Art Bureau. Three finalists will present models of their proposed sculptures, that should reflect the friendship between the two municipalities. The same process will take place in Lethbridge.

Since the twinning was originally arranged for Canada’s centennial and the 50th anniversary is in line with Canada’s 150th birthday, the borough has applied for a federal grant to cover the cost of the project, but will pursue the competition whether or not they receive federal funding. The total cost is expected to be $250,000 for each town, and the projected is expected to be completed in 2017.

BFFs

Ratified on July 27, 1967, the Saint-Laurent, Que. and Lethbridge twinning came about as part of the nation’s centennial and was aimed to foster and promote cultural relations.

The friendship has stood the test of time, with summer exchanges between the two cities and a sharing of culture and ideas.

Each yeah the municipalities alternate hosting groups of students or seniors from their twin towns, where the borough or city foots the bill for transportation and the citizens host in each other’s homes.