Council approves conference attendance

In support of the Town of Taber’s twinning relationship with Higashiomi City in Japan, two representatives of the town will be attending the 2014 Alberta-Japan Twin Town Conference in Rocky Mountain House June 13-14.

On March 24, council voted unanimously to appoint Mayor Henk De Vlieger and Coun. Joe Strojwas to attend the 2014 Alberta/Japan Twin Town Conference this summer.

Earlier this year the Japanese consul-general visited Taber, and this summer  there will be a contingent of students and chaperones visiting Japan along with Coun. Strojwas.

“Being that I am going to Japan this year, I would like to attend,” said Coun. Strojwas. “Being that we are twinned, the more representatives that we have would be an asset, for sure.”

The Town of Taber entered into a twinning agreement with the Town of Notogawa in 1982. Since that time, Notogawa was amalgamated into a larger urban unit, Higashiomi City, but the twinning agreement continues.

Coun. Randy Sparks noted Japanese consular officials in Canada are very aware of the concerns of Western Canadians, and supported the attendance of a town contingent at the conference.

“In meeting with the consul-general, they take things like this quite seriously, and they would love to have someone from our community attend, and I think it’s wise that we have someone go there. It was interesting in the meeting, he was not just concerned with the twinning — he also had wanted support from the town with regard to rail shipping issues and delivery of grain. So he’s very aware of what’s happening within Western Canada, and the country in general. So I think it would be wise to show support for this individual by having someone go to this sake festival.”