CBRM News

Sealing CBRM’s partnership with Wałbrzych, Poland

Agreement signing ceremony this Friday, Jan. 11, at 9 a.m. at Whitney Pier Memorial Middle School (Jamieson St.)

Wałbrzych’s mayor and officials to be linked in “virtually”

WHITNEY PIER, N.S. - CBRM Mayor Cecil Clarke will sign an agreement Friday at 9 a.m. (Cape Breton time) with Mayor Roman Szełemej of Wałbrzych, Poland, who will be linked in from Wałbrzych by technology, along with a delegation from his city.

The agreement builds on, and is enabled by, resolutions passed by both councils in June 2018 recognizing each other as partner cities (miasta partnerskie). Both municipalities have a similar population size and post-industrial neighbourhoods that are working creatively on revitalization. The partner-city agreement also leverages one of CBRM’s assets – a longstanding Polish community that is part of the identity and vitality of our region.

At Friday’s ceremony, representatives of both municipalities, including youth, will be connected virtually. The CBRM delegation will be gathering for the ceremony at 9 a.m. on Friday, January 11, in the library of Whitney Pier Memorial Middle School.

Both cities envision future co-operation and exchange of insights in tourism, community development, youth exchanges, conservation of historic sites, second-language instruction, culture, and academic collaboration. Collaboration will grow organically and over time.

A Partner City Workshop this spring at Cape Breton University will bring representatives of both cities together in person and virtually to map out projects.On the CBRM side, a steering committee consisting of representatives of CBRM, CBU, Parks Canada, Cape Breton-Victoria Regional Centre for Education, Destination Cape Breton, St. Mary’s Polish Parish, St. Michael’s Polish Benefit Society, and others has been formed to meet periodically to keep the relationship vibrant.

CBRM Mayor, Cecil P. Clarke commented, “While we may be separated by more than 5000 km, we have so much in common with the people of Wałbrzych. We each have a deep-rooted history of coal mining and have faced the challenges of a changing economy. We embrace our tourism and technological sectors and celebrate scientific advancement with global impacts at our local universities. This partnership we are embarking on with Walbrzych makes even more sense when you look at the cultural ties we share. The CBRM has been blessed and enriched by our Polish community for more than 100 years. Traditions from the Old Country which have been maintained and shared with friends and neighbours are now a large part of our municipal identity. We look forward to strengthening those ties in the years to come“

LIVE STREAM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvHbIAnuB8g

(Will be live 9am AST on Friday, January 11, 2019)