The Consul General of Japan, Mr. Hideki Ito visited Ashcroft and Kamloops last week, June 18 and 19, with the Consul of Cultural Affairs, Mr. Tetsuya Isono.
A dinner reception was held in Kamloops at the Holiday Inn on Monday night with about 14 representatives from Kamloops including Mayor Peter Milobar, and eight from Ashcroft: Mayor Andy Anderson, Coun. Helen Kormendy and her husband, Past Mayor Andy Kormendy, Coun. Alice Durksen and her husband Dave, Akio and Hiroko Kanamaru and their daughter, Yoriko Susanj.
The people invited by Consul General Ito were those involved in starting/maintaining Sister City Relationships with their counterpart in Japan. Kamloops celebrating their 22nd year of Sister City relationship with Uji City in Japan ... and Ashcroft will be celebrating 20 years of Sister City relationship with Bifuka in 2014.
Consul General Ito and Consul of Cultural Affairs, Mr. Isono, came for a short visit to Ashcroft the following day. The main purpose of Consul General Ito’s visit was to promote and recognize Sister City relationship with Japan. There are 70 communities in Canada who have a Sister City relationship with communities in Japan and of those 70, 34 are in B.C. Consul General Ito stated that last year in the wake of Japan’s earthquake and tsunami, B.C. showed overwhelming support for his people and that he believes that the close ties of the Sister City relationships were part of this support. He also recognized and thanked the Village of Ashcroft and it’s people for their support for his country with our efforts of fundraising.
The Consul General also stated that he wishes that Ashcroft and Bifuka will continue to have strong relations with each other for many years to come.
His visit to Ashcroft included meeting with the Village Council and visiting the murals downtown in Heritage Place Park.
Yoriko Susanj