What initially started off as an agreement between the Government of Alberta and the Government of Hokkaido, Japan has now grown into a 32 year friendship between the city of Lacombe and the community of Rikubetsu, Hokkaido.
Student delegations from Rikubetsu were in Lacombe over the weekend to immerse themselves in the culture of Lacombe and Alberta and this year, a group of students were treated to four days of everything the region has to offer — culminating in a banquet held at the Lacombe Memorial Centre on Tuesday, Sept. 25th.
Marlene McQuesten, president Lacombe&District Rikubetsu Friendship Society, said Lacombe’s relationship with their twin city in Japan began when former Lacombe Mayor Charles Budd and the City Council at the time decided to take the Alberta Government up on their offer to partner with a community in Hokkaido.
“The mayor at that time was Charles Budd and he went with his wife on a number of excursions with his wife to check it out,” McQuesten said. “After receiving a warm welcome there, he and the Council at time wanted to go forward with the twinning agreement. They did this in the summer of 1986.”
Initially, the relationship saw small groups of interested adults travelling to and from Hokkaido and Lacombe. Since then, Rikubetsu has begun sending delegations annually with Lacombe sending groups of their own every few years.
“The last one we had was in 2012 and we are really hoping in gathering interest to get a group together to go next summer,” McQuesten said. “Some of the host families have indicated their interest in going, so we want to go forward with that.”
The goals of the initial agreement was to foster friendship and cultural exchange between the communities, something McQuesten believes the Lacombe&District Rikubetsu Friendship Society has achieved.
“I think that when you stay in another persons home, you get to see how they live,” she said. “That is so important — the host family part of our exchange is really the heartbeat of the cultural exchange. It is also a chance for host students to make bonds of friendship.”
McQuesten added that the experience for anyone who has travelled to Rikubetsu has been wonderful
“I went in 2004 with my husband and we enjoyed it immensely. It is such an enriching experience to experience someone else’s culture,” she said.
McQuesten recalled an extraordinary personal experience that brings to light the affect of cultural exchanges.
“When we were there in 2004 — we went to a bug farm,” she said. “One of the little fellows on the farm had came and was curious about us. He finally came up and gave me a hug.
“We took pictures and then about 11 years later, that boy was in our home. We were entertaining him and hosting him. It was so much fun…we found out just by showing pictures.”
McQuesten added they are always looking for host families that are interested in learning more of a different culture.