Saugeen Shores has finalized a ‘sister city’ agreement with Zonnebeke in Belgium.
This Canada-Belgium partnership, rooted in the First World War legacy of Passchendaele, establishes a living town-to-town relationship between the two communities.
Nearly 110 years after the Battle of Passchendaele, Zonnebeke, home of the battlefield, ratified a Memorandum of Understanding with Saugeen Shores on the eve of Canada Day, formally establishing a sister city relationship.
Passchendaele is regarded as a defining moment in Canada’s emergence as a nation and in the shaping of Canadian national identity. Southampton Legion Past President John Willetts came up with the idea of establishing the relationship on a trip to Belgium in recent years, when he visited Passchendale and Vimy Ridge.
Willetts says he attended a Remembrance Day ceremony in Passchendaele and notes, “It’s a wonderful experience. The Canadian monument at the top of the ridge that the Canadians took during the battle of Passchendale is a beautiful park surrounded by Canadian maple trees of course.” He says the Canada Arch memorial is located there, and a lane into the town is named for Canada.
Willetts remembers a torch lit parade after the ceremony at night, saying “It’s breathtaking. It’s a really emotional situation.”
He adds, “There are Canadian flags hanging out of people’s windows along the street.”
“It’s a beautiful rural place. It’s surprising how much we have in common in terms of the size of Zonnebeke and the size of Saugeen Shores and the agricultural history behind the two areas.”
A release from the Town notes, “Saugeen Shores is just one of many small Canadian communities that sent sons and daughters who served and sacrificed in one of the defining conflicts in the country’s history.”
Mayor Luke Charbonneau says in a statement, “This Memorandum of Understanding turns a shared history of sacrifice into a living relationship between our two communities,” adding, “We’re proud to formalize our bond with Zonnebeke, and to ensure that the connection between Saugeen Shores and Passchendaele continues to be honoured by future generations on both sides of the Atlantic.”
Following ratification, both municipalities will proceed with implementation, including a formal signing ceremony, initial joint initiatives, and preparations for a delegation visit around November 11.
The Passchendaele Sister City Initiative has been developed and advanced through sustained cross-border coordination and stakeholder engagement across Canada and Belgium, including museum, education, chamber of commerce, Legion, and community partners.
Back in February, the Town passed a by-law authorizing a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a Sister City relationship with the City of Zonnebeke. This partnership establishes a lasting town-to-town relationship connecting schools, museums, veterans’ organizations, heritage groups, and youth in both communities, and will also work with the Royal Canadian Legion, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and Veterans Affairs Canada.